On 24 May, the IMO Secretary-General, Kitack Lim spoke at the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) in Lisbon, Portugal, where he highlighted that the relationship between global shipping regulation, through IMO, and regional implementation can be strong and very effective.
In particular, Mr. Lim noted that EU Member States have made an invaluable contribution to IMO’s work, leading the foundation for shipping to become progressively safer, more efficient, cleaner and greener. And, moving forward, EU countries have an equally strong influence over ensuring that IMO measures are universally adopted and implemented – thereby helping to create a level playing-field so that ship operators cannot gain an unfair advantage by cutting corners.
Furthermore, Mr. Lim pointed to important EMSA contributions to IMO’s work. These include the EMSA-hosted International Data Exchange Centre, which ensures the smooth operation of the Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system, and third-party audits carried out in countries supplying seafarers – in order to support compliance with the international treaty covering seafarer training (STCW Convention).
