IMO Secretary General receives Niki Award for 2010
The Niki Award for 2010 is to be awarded to Mr. Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the United Nations. The award honors prominent Greeks, or scientists of Greek descent, who are recognized by the international community for their extraordinary contribution to their fields. It is awarded by the Friends of the Athens Information Technology Center of Excellence for Research and Education (www.ait.gr/niki2010).
Mr. Mitropoulos is honored for his extraordinary contribution to the advancement of international law and technology for the safety of human life at sea and the protection of the marine environment worldwide.
Mr. Mitropoulos was born in Piraeus, Greece, in a maritime family. He graduated from the Aspropyrgos Merchant Marine and Piraeus Naval Academies and started his career as a Merchant Navy Officer and, since 1962, as a commissioned Officer of the Hellenic Coast Guard. He also studied shipping economics in Italy and marine technology in the United Kingdom. Between 1966 and 1977, Mr. Mitropoulos attended various IMO bodies and the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea as representative of the Greek Ministry of Mercantile Marine. He was Harbour Master of Corfu, Greece between 1977 and 1979.
He joined the IMO in 1979. In 1992 he was appointed Director, Maritime Safety Division and, in 2000, Assistant Secretary-General. In 2003, he was appointed Secretary-General of IMO for the period 2004 to 2008. In 2006, his mandate was renewed for another 4 years, concluding 31 December 2011.
The Niki Award will be presented during a formal ceremony at the landmark Grande Bretagne Hotel in Athens, on Thursday, December 16, 2010. The Keynote Speaker will be Mr. Spyros Polemis, chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). Attending the Ceremony will be representatives from the Greek government, major Greek scientific and academic institutions, international shipping industry, businesses, banks, organizations, diplomatic corps, and the media.
All proceeds from this event will go to AITs Scholarships, Awards, and Financial Aid Fund.
Source: AIT
