IMO Firm On Treaties

International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced that it is committed to ensuring the implementation of all its treaties.

By carefully matching the needs of recipient countries with resources available from donors, the Organization's technical cooperation program is the essential component in helping all governments to fulfill their responsibilities, the UN body said.

With a strong focus on capacity building and training, the technical cooperation program makes a strong and continuing contribution to sustainable development.  

IMO's Technical Cooperation Committee (TC 69) is meeting (25-27 June) to review activities carried out in 2018 and approve the Integrated Technical Cooperation Program for 2020-2021.

The planned 2020-2021 program has a strong emphasis on achieving the targets set in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

A proposed new global program dedicated to maritime development and the blue economy recognises the potential of the maritime sector to unlock growth and promote sustainable development.

The committee will also be updated on various programmes and activities, including the IMO Women in Maritime gender program, which is particularly relevant to this year's World Maritime Day theme, "Empowering Women in the Maritime Community".

 Two special events will be held, one to launch the World Maritime University (WMU)-Koji Sekimizu PhD Fellowship on Maritime Governance and another one to mark 30 years of the IMO International Maritime Law Institute. All delegates will be encouraged to show their support for the international Day of the Seafarer, which falls on the first day of the meeting.

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim opened the 69th session, which is being chaired by Mr. Zulkurnain Ayub (Malaysia).

Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Minister of Transport, Malaysia, addressed the Committee, pledging Malaysia's continued commitment to supporting IMO's technical cooperation activities and to the World Maritime Day theme, empowering women in the maritime community. Malaysia handed over generous funds to support WMU, IMLI and the GHG TC-Trust Fund.