IMO Secretary-General welcomed the signing of deal to allow shipments of essential commodities via Black Sea.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim welcomed the signing of an agreement between Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor to allow ships to export critical cargoes of grain and foodstuffs from Ukraine.
I am very pleased that all parties have reached agreement on the way forward for ships to safely transport much-needed grain and other commodities through the Black Sea. This agreement would not have been possible without the spirit of cooperation by the countries involved and the leadership shown by UN Secretary General António Guterres in proposing this initiative
IMO Secretary-General Lim said.
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He also added that “IMO instruments, including the International Ship and Port Facilities Security (ISPS) Code, underpin this agreement for safe and secure shipping through the Black Sea.”
The IMO Council, at its 35th Extraordinary Session in March, requested the IMO Secretary-General to collaborate with relevant parties to initiate the establishment and support the implementation of a blue safe maritime corridor in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, UN Secretary General António Guterres said:
Let there be no doubt – this is an agreement for the world. It will bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine. And it will help stabilize global food prices which were already at record levels even before the war – a true nightmare for developing countries
Specifically, the initiative that was just signed opens a path for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea – Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The shipment of grain and food stocks into world markets will help bridge the global food supply gap and reduce pressure on high prices.”
