IMO discusses piracy, encourages seafarer training

THE UN's International Maritime Organisation has organised a round table of international shipping associations meeting with shipping industry bodies BIMCO, ICS/ISF, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), to review progress on addressing the shortage of seafarers' and the threat of piracy.

The meeting at IMO headquarters reviewed developments relating to the Go to Sea! campaign launched in November 2008 to attract entrants to the shipping industry; and the situation of piracy against ships in waters off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, an IMO statement said.

The participants agreed that the shortage of seafarers was the biggest issue for shipping and further agreed to intensify their efforts in support of this worthy cause.

Additionally the round table was in the process of finalising a strategic document on industry action to attract, train, educate and retain seafarers; agreeing that industry should continue its efforts to ensure the provision of berths for cadets to undertake on-the-job training; encouraging states to ratify the consolidated Maritime Labour Convention adopted by the International Labour Organisation in 2006; and expressed concern over the continued and unjustified criminalisation of seafarers.

In reviewing the progress made since October 2008, "the participants also noted a number of developments requiring continuous vigilance of the situation in the region and the maintenance of ongoing efforts aimed at the disruption of pirate operations by naval, coastguard and law enforcement assets."

In particular, they underlined that developments ashore in Somalia are probably the only way to resolve this problem in the long term and favourable political developments ashore would help stem the scourge of piracy offshore.

The round table unanimously encouraged the continuation and strengthening of naval protection for shipping sailing through the region, until the problems ashore are solved; and welcomed the planned completion of revised IMO guidelines on the prevention and repression of piratical attacks by the forthcoming session of the Organization's Maritime Safety Committee from May 27 to 8 June 2009.

Source: Transportweekly