Kwaku Ofori Asiamah speaking during the session
MINISTER FOR Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has urged the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), to provide full support to the players in the maritime industry to achieve a safer, more secure and greener industry.
According to him, the shipping industry needed more innovative measures by the IMO to ensure that global standards were implemented uniformly considering the fact that member states were at varying stages of socioeconomic development, and tackling varying developmental issues and priorities at varying times.
He argued that the implementation of the IMO technical cooperation activities, including the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP), was good, adding that the innovative measures would inspire member states to speed up their achievement of the global level aspired to.
“It is imperative that the IMO achieves harmonisation by implementing global standards uniformly across the different jurisdictions. The shipping industry is dynamic, and the growing demand for measures towards ensuring a safer, more secure and greener industry is justified in every sense. No member should be left behind as that would not aid in achieving the global mandate of promoting safe, secure and greener shipping. It is essential that we all move along,” he noted.
Mr. Asiamah disclosed this on Wednesday while contributing to a panel discussion on the occasion of the International Maritime Organisation World Maritime Day Parallel Event held at Durban’s ICC in Ethekwini, South Africa.
His comment was in reaction to questions on what the IMO could do more to promote its Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP), enhance its financial sustainability and also increase the representation of African countries.
The theme for this year’s World Maritime Day Parallel Event was “New technologies for greener shipping”.
Speaking on the financial sustainability of the IMO, Mr. Asiamah urged the IMO to ensure the continued financial viability of the ITCP through core funding via the Technical Cooperation (TC) Fund and access to external and in-kind support.
He encouraged member states to honour their financial commitments to the Technical Cooperation Fund, and provide financial as well as in-kind support to the ITCP through bi-lateral arrangements.
South Africa’s Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, in a keynote address, urged players in the maritime business to evolve proactive mitigation measures that will deal with greenhouse gas emissions from ships.