Timely reminder of need for compromise
“I wish to say a few words about a meeting of global dimensions that will attract the worlds attention next year. I am, of course, referring to Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, which is scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012.
The conference will build on the outcomes of the 1992 Earth Summit, also held in Rio; of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg; and of other global events that have addressed the three pillars (economic, social and environmental) of sustainable development.
To that end, Rio+20 will focus on two related themes, namely, the creation of a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and of a new institutional framework for sustainable development.
Ocean issues and the so-called blue economy, or even the green economy in a blue world, have been highlights of the preparations for Rio+20, in which the Secretariat is actively participating.
The challenge of achieving sustainable development is daunting, given the pressures of a relentlessly growing world population on dwindling resources and, consequently, there is a need for mankind to secure alternative consumption patterns through, for example, renewable energy sources or enhanced energy efficiency.
Given this committees work on the latter issue, it goes without saying that IMO will have a role to play in the coming Rio+20 Conference by providing leadership in ensuring environmentally sound shipping (both from the marine and atmospheric points of view).
Ship energy efficiency is a topic that has been at the core of IMOs work to contribute to world efforts to stem climate change and global warming, by developing and enacting regulatory measures that will limit or reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and, indeed, of air pollutants too from international shipping.
You have before you a very large number of submissions on this topic alone and I am confident that your chairmans skills will ensure that, by working together, you will have an efficient, effective, balanced and fruitful debate on what are matters of great complexity and sensitivity.
Of immediate interest to many, both within and outside IMO, will be your discussion, with a view to consideration for adoption, of proposed amendments to MARPOL Annex VI addressing the first two pillars of the Committees three-pronged greenhouse gas action plan, namely, the technical and operational measures, providing, respectively, for the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Design Index for new ships and of the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan for all ships over 400 gross tonnes.
Additionally, you will review the progress made by the third intersessional meeting of your Working Group on GHG Emissions from Ships on the third pillar of the action plan relating to market-based measures.
Putting your work on this issue within the global context to which it belongs, your work during this week will, of necessity, be guided by the imperative of IMO being able to present concrete results to the next Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is to meet in Durban, South Africa, in November/December.
Notwithstanding this, your decisions, over these five days, will project, to the wider world community, the image of an organisation that is effective in the exercise of its regulatory mandate relating to the environment and united in its determination to ensure that international shipping remains the most environmentally sound mode of transport.
Although my position on the issue of climate change and IMOs response, from its perspective, to the worrying phenomena that accompany it is, more or less, known, I will use this, my last speech to your committee before I take my leave at the end of the year, to make some recommendations something that I consider to be not only my duty, but also my responsibility.
I will start by asking you not to put political and other interests above those of the environment; and not to lose sight of what we have set out to do, and achieve, under the respective agenda item which, I need hardly clarify, is but the protection of the environment against ship-generated GHG emissions.
In attempting to do that, there is an imperative need that we think globally, and act globally not narrowly, nationally and, by implication, selfishly. Out of all this endeavour, let there be only one winner and let that winner be none other than the environment.
And, once we are convinced of the merits and values of doing so for the benefit of this and generations to come, then let us act and act accordingly, with firmness and determination.
While pursuing the set objective, we should not jeopardise the unity of this organisation. A divided IMO cannot stand simply because the international character of the industry it serves cannot afford a divided membership that might opt for standards other than global.
We should think of our legacy and the responsibility on our shoulders. How would we, and those to succeed us, feel if, having put other interests above the environment, we succeeded in breaking IMOs unity? We should, therefore, think hard and act accordingly.
But let me explain, lest I be misunderstood: through these words, I am not addressing a particular group of members. On the contrary, my intention is to address both sides of the argument simply because, while I do not want to be, or be seen to be, dogmatic, I understand that, on serious matters such as those before the committee this week, there can be no breakthrough unless those standing for each side of the argument accept that both have a point to make; and that, for a successful outcome, both will have to make concessions.
If that proves to be what is needed in order to build consensus, so be it. A historical responsibility hangs over everybody in this room today and in the following four days. Let the dream that will galvanise, inspire and steer us all throughout this week be one of a united IMO come Friday; of an organisation that has, once again, demonstrated its ability to make decisions by consensus no matter how high the hurdles and insurmountable the obstacles may seem to be in the process: the environment needs it and the organisation deserves it.
To these words of advice, let me add that, in my urge to help you succeed this week, I am not motivated by the fear that, if IMO does not act, others will. I would suggest to any, who may think otherwise, that, to promote the common cause, we should all try to be co-operative rather than antagonistic.
IMO acts and I hope the outcome of this weeks work will prove this to be the case out of its own sensitivity and care about the environment, not because others say so.
To sum up, this is what I would encourage you all and the committee as a whole to display this week:
- a firm determination to serve the best interests of the environment;
- a clear demonstration of willingness to preserve the unity of the membership;
- a preparedness to negotiate in good faith;
- a readiness to compromise; and
- a commitment to build, throughout your deliberations, and achieve, at the end of the day, consensus.
Durban may be a long distance away from London, but it is less than five months away and time cannot wait.
It is also because time cannot wait that, in the Secretariat, we are energetically pursuing a proactive policy of promoting technical assistance to developing countries in relation to energy efficient shipping.
An allocation of $400,000 from the Technical Co-operation Fund to provide such support in the next biennium has already been approved by the council, in addition to $700,000 donated by the Republic of Korea for a project aimed at building capacity on this topic within the east Asian countries and I hope that more funds will be committed to this most worthy cause.
Source: IMO