Tag: IMO

Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting sustainable maritime development, during a side-event organized by IMO on 20 June at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Presenting his vision at the panel discussion on "Sustainable Maritime Development - Contribution of Maritime Transport to Green Growth and Inclusive Development", IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu said that the promotion of sustainable shipping and sustainable maritime development would be one of the major priorities of his tenure as IMO Secretary-General."Shipping is an essential component of any programme for sustainable development. The world relies on a safe, secure and efficient international shipping industry, and this is provided by the comprehensive regulatory framework developed and maintained by IMO," Mr. Sekimizu said."Through its technical co-operation activities, IMO helps build capacity to enable developing countries to participate fully in maritime activities. This generates wealth, jobs and economic activity not only in the maritime sector but in other areas that rely on maritime trade for access to global markets," Mr. Sekimizu said."The development and implementation, through IMO, of global standards covering maritime safety, environmental protection, maritime security and the facilitation of maritime ...

New IMO video for the Day of Seafarers on 25th June

The Online Magazine of the International Maritime Organization The International Maritime Organization issues its online magazine, IMO News Magazine 2012 - issue 2, including a wide range of topics such as:- Offshore wind farm vessels- should existing IMO measures apply? - Titanic remembered by IMO Secretary-General - Liability limits for maritime claims raised - GMDSS revision plan finalised - E-navigation progress reviewedFor more information, click IMO-News-02-12-WEB_2pdfSource: IMO

During MSC 16-25 May 2012 The IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), at its ninetieth session (16 to 25 May 2012) agreed to develop guidance for private maritime security companies. The MSC guidance is intended to complement existing guidance, and further assist policy development at national level with the aim of facilitating greater harmonisation of policies at an international level regarding the issue of private armed security on board ships.The existing Interim Guidance, which is for private maritime security companies providing privately contracted armed security personnel on board ships in the High Risk Area, was just recently released by IMO and is set out in the annex of MSC.1/Circ.1443.This Interim Guidance should be read in conjunction with the recently updated Revised Interim Guidance set out in MSC.1/Circ.1405/Rev.2 as Revised interim guidance to shipowners, ship operators and shipmasters on the use of privately contracted armed security personnel on board ships in the High Risk Area.Consequential amendments will also be made to Circulars 1406 and 1408. These will be available and will be titled as follows: MSC.1/Circ.1406/Rev.2 Revised interim recommendations for flag states regarding the use of privately contracted armed security personnel on board ships in the High Risk Area; and MSC.1/Circ.1408/Rev.1 on ...

IMO Council holds its course This year's first session of the IMO Council established a steering group to reduce administrative burdens.A steering group with a wide range of participants is to push forward the process, inter alia through consultations with all relevant stakeholders. Against this background, the steering group is to present a number of recommendations indicating what administrative regulations can be left out and how to otherwise reduce the paper work.Denmark has worked persistently to place administrative burdens on the international agenda. Denmark holds the view that administrative burdens put strains on seafarers and shipowners to an unnecessary extent. Therefore, Denmark presented an inventory at the Council meeting that identifies all the documentation and information requirements stipulated in current mandatory IMO instruments. The inventory has been made in cooperation with the WMU. The Council thanked Denmark for the inventory and recognized that it is a considerable contribution to the future work making IMO's regulations simpler.Denmark also took the opportunity to present the preliminary results of two studies of seafarers' and shipowners' experience with the administrative burdens imposed on the industry. The Danish Maritime Authority has made the studies in cooperation with the consulting firm COWI.At the Council meeting, the ...

New IMO video for the Day of Seafarers on 25th June 25 June of each year is the "Day of the Seafarer", recognizing the invaluable contribution seafarers make to international trade and the world economy, often at great personal cost to themselves and their families.

IMO receives formal proposal The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has received a formal proposal co-sponsored by a broad array of industry organizations, labor, and governments to require loaded containers to be weighed to determine their actual weight.The proposal was submitted by Denmark, The Netherlands, the United States, BIMCO, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), and the World Shipping Council (WSC). The IMO's Subcommittee on Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers will consider the proposal at its next meeting in September."Misdeclared container weights are a recurring safety problem on shore, on ships, and on roadways. It is time to fix that problem. We are pleased that there is such a broad cross-section of industry and government agreement on a specific and effective remedy," said Torben Skaanild, Secretary General of BIMCO."The cosponsors of this proposal are recommending a legal requirement that port terminal operators and ships must have a verified container weight in order to export a loaded container. This will protect workers in the port, on the ship, and other cargo owners against the various risks created by misdeclared containers," said Peter Hinchliffe, Secretary General of ICS."The ...

43rd session, 30 April - 4 May 2012 Guidance and model courses for implementation of 2010 Manila amendments to STCW agreedGuidance and model courses relating to the implementation of the Manila Amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, and the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code, (which were adopted in Manila, the Philippines, in June 2010 and entered into force on 1 January 2012) were agreed by the Standards of Training and Watchkeeping (STW), when it met for its 43rd session.Revised Guidelines for Medical Examination approvedThe Sub-Committee endorsed the revised Guidelines for Medical Examination of Seafarers, which were developed jointly by IMO and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to implement the international standards for medical fitness for seafarers set out in the STCW Convention, as amended, and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006, in order to promote and support their effective, uniform, globalimplementation.The revised Guidelines for Medical Examination of Seafarers will be submitted for approval to the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) and the ILO Governing Body andwill replace the Guidelines for Conducting Pre-sea and Periodic Medical Fitness Examinations for Seafarers, published by the ILO and the World Health Organization (WHO) ...

Selected as World Maritime Day theme for 2013 The IMO Council has endorsed a proposal by IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu to adopt "Sustainable Development: IMO's contribution beyond Rio+20" as the World Maritime Day theme for 2013.The theme was chosen in order to focus IMO's efforts during 2013 on the commitments to be made at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, better known as Rio+20, to be held from 20 to 22 June in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Addressing the IMO Council, meeting for its 108th session in London, Mr. Sekimizu said that IMO would renew its commitment to sustainable maritime development at Rio+20."Twenty years ago, the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio adopted the so-called 'Agenda 21', which included a set of recommendations related to shipping and the role of IMO. IMO's response to Agenda 21 has, over the years, been both multifaceted and robust," Mr. Sekimizu said."The two main themes of Rio+20 are the creation of a 'green economy' and a new institutional framework for sustainable development. Key elements of sustainable shipping include energy efficiency, new technology and innovation, maritime education and training, maritime security, maritime traffic management and the development of maritime infrastructure in both ...

Labor and terminal operator groups, along with U.S., Denmark and the Netherlands, back proposal Container line, labor and terminal operator groups, along with the Danish, Dutch and U.S. governments, want the International Maritime Organization to require laden containers to be weighed before they are loaded onto ships, rather than just taking exporters' word on the shipments' weight.The IMO's Subcommittee on Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers is expected at its next meeting in September to consider the proposal aimed at making transport safer on ships, docks and roadways. Aside from the U.S., Dutch and Danish governments, the proposal is co-sponsored by the Baltic and International Maritime Council, the International Association of Ports and Harbors, the International Chamber of Shipping, the International Transport Workers' Federation and the World Shipping Council."For years, the United States has required all its export containers to be weighed. This has not impaired supply chain efficiency, and it has improved safety. The technology exists to weigh containers accurately and efficiently, and it should be a universal, required practice," said Dr. Geraldine Knatz, president of IAPH and executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.Under the Safety of Life at Sea Convention, shippers are required to declare the ...