Tag: UN

Address the problem of serious human rights violations affecting migrants Large Scale Rescue(Image CreditTORM A/S)The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has joined with other UN agencies in calling for concerted action from the international community to address the deeply concerning problem of the loss of life, injury, trauma and serious human rights violations affecting migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees traveling by sea. In a joint statement, IMO, along with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that closer cooperation between States of origin, transit and destination, and other relevant actors, was critical to reducing loss of life at sea, addressing the drivers of dangerous sea journeys, as well as ensuring that responses by States upon arrival and disembarkation uphold human rights and dignity, and address specific needs for protection of migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees. Such cooperation is also critical to identifying, prosecuting and punishing the criminal gangs who are responsible for human rights abuses and for arranging sea transportation in breach of all safety regulations, the statement said, noting that while the ...

IMO, UN in joint statement on protection at sea in the 21st century

The need for comprehensive response to repress piracy The United Nations Security Council reaffirmed its condemnation of all acts of piracy and robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, reiterating its calls for the international community to intensify their efforts in fighting what it said was a threat to the East African country's stability.Adopting a new resolution, the Council stressed the need for UN Member States to engage in a "comprehensive response to repress piracy" and tackle its underlying causes, while also calling on the global community to "take part in the fight against piracy and armed robbery" by providing a consistent military presence to the region.Acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which authorizes the use of force, the Council renews its call upon States and regional organizations that are able to do so to take part in counter-piracy measures specifically by "deploying naval vessels, arms, and military aircraft, by providing basing and logistical support for counter-piracy forces, and by seizing and disposing of boats, vessels, arms, and other related equipment used in the commission of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, or for which there are reasonable grounds for suspecting such ...

Security Council renewed for another year authorizations, for international action to fight the crime

UN expressed concern about the report denial of medical care for ill seafarers on board ships

Citing “clear and growing” human influence on the climate system, a UN report warns that if left unchecked, climate change will increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems. Echoing that dire warning, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that if the world maintains its “business as usual” attitude about climate change, the opportunity to keep temperature rise below the internationally target of 2 degrees Celsius, “will slip away within the next decade.” “With this latest report, science has spoken yet again and with much more clarity. Time is not on our side…leaders must act,” declared the UN chief, in Copenhagen, Denmark on an official visit that included a press conference to launch the final installment of the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). According to a press release from the panel, the so-called “Synthesis Report” confirms that climate change is being registered around the world and warming of the climate system is unequivocal. Since the 1950s many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. “Our assessment finds that the atmosphere and oceans have warmed, the amount of snow and ice has diminished, sea level has risen and ...

On October 24, IMO joins the rest of the UN system in celebrating UN Day, marking the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945

Presence of effective Government and State institutions is required While noting the progress made to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia, the United Nations political chief said that a sustained long-term solution must include the presence of effective Government and State institutions that provide basic services and alternative ways for people to make a living.Briefing the Security Council on piracy off the coast of the east African nation, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said that this multi-pronged approach may be "a daunting, but unavoidable task, for it will enable Somalia to effectively address, and ultimately defeat, piracy.""We should not only ask what more needs to be done to ensure that the scourge does not return, but also what kind of support could be provided to Somalia so that the country is able to respond to the threat of piracy without dependence on the countries support of international navies," he said.The decline in pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia is an opportunity to review current efforts and take a long-term perspective on how best to contain Somali piracy including by addressing underlying conditions conducive to breeding piracy, such as political instability and the lack of alternative livelihoods."State collapse ...

The global economy could be losing as much as $1 trillion annually by the end of the century if countries do not take urgent steps to stop ocean acidification, UN report warns. This figure reflects the economic loss for industries linked to coral reefs alone, which are some of the most vulnerable species to this phenomenon. The overall financial and environmental costs are still uncertain, states the report, An Updated Synthesis of the Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Biodiversity, issued in Pyeongchang by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP-12). “When ecosystems stop delivering the way they should, they essentially deliver less services and less benefits. In the case of coral reefs, those systems are essential for people’s livelihoods in many regions of the world and they will be significantly affected,” said Salvatore Arico, who acts as the principal focal point on biodiversity and policy at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, caused by a drastic increase in carbon dioxide emissions due to human activity. The report stresses that this phenomenon ...

The Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) held their 41st session at WMU from 1-4 September. Established in 1969, GESAMP is an advisory body that advises the United Nations (UN) system on the scientific aspects of marine environmental protection. The Mission of GESAMP is: "To provide authoritative, independent, interdisciplinary scientific advice to organizations and member Governments to support the protection and sustainable use of the marine environment." Each year, the partner UN agencies of GESAMP alternate hosting the annual meetings. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) was this year's host agency and recommended the meetings be held at their apex institution for postgraduate education and research, the World Maritime University. WMU Alumnus, Fredrik Haag, is a Technical Officer at the IMO and was part of the administrative Secretariet in attendance. He noted that given the activities at WMU, with research and the students, it was decided it would be a good opportunity to bring the independent scientific group to the University for the annual session. Participants from 14 countries came together to discuss the agenda items that included evaluation of hazards of harmful substances carried by ships, review of applications for "active substances‟ in ...