Key resolutions agreed
Caribbean countries have demonstrated that they are resolute about being responsible maritime states by agreeing on a number of key resolutions during a High Level Symposium (HLS) in Jamaica, attended by the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
L-R Mr. Koji Sekimizu, Secretary General, IMO; Dr. Hon. Omar Davies, Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, Jamaica; Rear Admiral (ret’d) Peter Brady, Director General, Maritime Authority of Jamaica
Ministers responsible for maritime transport throughout the Wider Caribbean Region committed their support for international maritime regulations and IMO resolutions as well as pledging to prepare, enact and enforce appropriate national maritime legislation to give full and complete effect to the critical IMO Conventions to which they are parties.
More than 90% of trade in the Caribbean is carried by ships. In addition, shipping and port operations contribute to the sustainable development of the Caribbean Region.
Caribbean States and Territories have considerable and growing interest in merchant shipping, operating ship registries which are collectively responsible for 4,760 merchant ships totalling 72 million gross tonnes – representing seven per cent of the world’s merchant fleet.
Safety, security, marine environmental pollution, the efficient movement of goods and people, as well as seafarers’ welfare all came under discussion during the day-long meeting.
Enhancing the effective implementation of international maritime rules and standards is an important commitment towards achieving environmental
and other goals set out by the HLS Environmental Commitment
The meeting recognised the particular vulnerability of the Caribbean Region to the harmful effects of sub-standard shipping and pollution damage from maritime activities
Under Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution
from Ships 1973 (MARPOL) the Wider Caribbean Region has Special Area Status.
The HLS resolved to increase the level of acceptance of MARPOL and provide the necessary means to maintain the ecological integrity of the marine and coastal waters of the Caribbean Sea, especially given its critical socio-economic and environmental importance to Member States. Strengthening Maritime Administrations
It was recognized that in order to achieve these goals the strengthening of maritime administrations is critical to enable them to effectively carry out their responsibilities as coastal, flag and port States.
The ministers and senior marine administrators who represented the
governments of Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago, agreed to promote efforts to encourage and enhance intra-regional technical cooperation and support.
In addition the HLS pledged to increase co-operation among the States and Territories of the region for the effective performance of Flag State implementation and Port State control activities.
Source: Maritime Authority of Jamaica