Africa seeks greater collaboration with IMO on international maritime

The Association of African Maritime Administration (AAMA), has called for a Memorandum of Understanding between it and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), to foster an integrated position on maritime issues.

Such an understanding is believed, would also aid a lot of African countries in need of technical support, even as AMAA reiterated its call for increased African representation on the IMO Council and its Secretariat.

The Chairman of AAMA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who made the appeal when he led a delegation of some members of AAMA Executive Committee to meet with the IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim, at the Organisation’s Headquarters in London, said there was a need for Africa’s proportionate representation to be commensurate with its size in the IMO membership.

Peterside said: “You will agree with me that the number of African nations in the council of the IMO is disproportionate to the size of the continent’s representation at the global maritime body. Therefore, to drive Africa’s maritime sector development agenda, there is need for a proportionate and effective representation of the continent in council and at the secretariat.”

Dakuku who is also the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), noted that the various initiatives embarked by AAMA leadership, including cooperation by the member nations in capacity building, will impact on the continent’s maritime sector.

He commending the IMO for the technical support so far extended to members from the African continent.Responding, the IMO scribe also commended AAMA for its high level of organisation and a proactive leadership, aimed at ensuring that the African aritime sector remained viable.

He urged African nations to continue working closely together to remain a formidable block and able to influence decision making at the IMO.
Given that he is also from a developing country, and despite the recent successes recorded in his home country, Lim said he appreciates African position in seeking greater collaboration with IMO.

He pledged to continue to champion greater assistance to developing countries, so they will benefit more from global maritime trade, and promised to liaise with technical staff of IMO, and revert to AAMA on the various requests made.

The AAMA delegation that accompanied Dakuku included the Director General, Ghana Maritime Authority, Kwame Owuaru; CEO, South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), Sobantu Tilayi; and the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, NIMASA, Bashir Jamoh.

Others were the chairperson, African Maritime Advisory Group (AMAG), Azara Prempeh; Phimulani Myeni of South Africa; Juvenal Shiundu, a Director in IMO of Kenya origin; and William Azuh, Head, IMO technical section for Africa.

 

Source: The Guardian

Related Posts

About author

Related Posts

Tags

Leave a Reply