Suva to host IMO regional office
THE regional office of International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. sill soon open a Regional Presence Office (RPO) in Suva, Fiji, to serve countries and territories in the Pacific Islands region.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez and the Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the IMO Headquarters in London on March 18, confirming this arrangement.
In a press release by IMO, its regional presence in Fiji was aimed to support the maritime needs and priorities of countries in the Pacific Islands region, aligning IMO actions with national and regional development policies, while providing advice on key maritime issues such as training, safety and security, legislation and marine environment.
The Office will facilitate active fieldlevel engagement in the delivery of IMO’s technical cooperation framework and will be the organisation’s seventh regional presence office which will be headed by a regional coordinator.
Tuisawau said this would provide an opportunity to address critical maritime issues including the challenge of providing an efficient inter-island shipping service, to ensure the safety of our Pacific people.
“As host of this regional office, Pacific member states will be assisted in addressing global standards for ships, and compliance issues related to energy efficiency, safety equipment and maintenance of safety systems according to IMO standards,” he said.
Pacific Island governments have highlighted the need for more opportunities in the sector, especially for young people, including certification for seafarers and wider employment prospects.
IMO Secretary-General Dominguez said he welcomed this initiative to enhance the global presence of IMO and to work in step with the Pacific region.
“In addition to Fiji as host country, I would like to thank the Governments of Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands for their generous financial and in-kind support which has helped make this collaboration a reality.”
The Fiji office will complement existing offices in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire for West and Central Africa (Francophone); Accra, Ghana for West and Central Africa (Anglophone); Nairobi, Kenya for Eastern and Southern Africa; Manila, the Philippines for East Asia; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago for the Caribbean; and Alexandria, Egypt for the Middle East and North Africa.
There are 14 IMO Member States in the Pacific Islands region, including Australia and New Zealand.