A new journey of IMO development

Reporter Wang sijia

The Convention on the Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organization, for the establishment of the IMO, was adopted on 6 March 1948 by the United Nations Maritime Conference in Geneva, (which entered into force on 17 March 1958.)2018 marks 70 years since the Convention establishing IMO was adopted in 1948. At this memorable moment,the journalist interviewed Kitack Lim, IMO secretary general.

Reporter: It is hard to imagine what the international maritime industry would have been without IMO.After 70 years of development, what has IMO achieved? What experience has IMO gained?

Kitack Lim: In my view, IMO’s greatest achievement has been to create a comprehensive set of global regulations for shipping, uniformly implemented across all ships

regardless of fl ag. Developing a global, universal set of standards for shipping brings certainty and ensures a level playing fi eld. This concept underpins our work.

This means that ship operators cannot compromise on safety and environmental standards simply by cutting corners. This approach also encourages innovation and eff i ciency. So IMO can be justif i ably proud of its record of steering the shipping industry, through regulation, to being ever safer, greener and cleaner and sustainable.

IMO has, to date, adopted more than 50 international instruments covering all aspects of international shipping– including ship design, construction, equipment,crewing, navigation, operation and disposal.

Another key achievement has been IMO’s focus on capacity building and technical cooperation activities.IMO regulations have to be ratified into national law and implemented effectively. So IMO’s comprehensive technical cooperation programme is really important.

This programme trains thousands of people per year. And I would also highlight our flagship academic institutes,established in the 1980s: the International Maritime Law Institute, in Malta; and the World Maritime University,in Sweden, which also delivers Masters programmes in Dalian, in collaboration with Dalian Maritime University,and in Shanghai, in collaboration with Shanghai Maritime University. Today, WMU and IMLI graduates,from more than 165 countries around the world, hold positions of responsibility in the maritime sector and beyond.

Reporter: How do you evaluate the development of IMO in the past 70 years? In your viewpoint,which factors have promoted the development and advancement of IMO in the past 70?

Kitack Lim: I think that the cooperation and collaboration of our Member States, inter-governmental organizations,non-governmental organizations and the Secretariat have been the contributing factors towards truly notable results and progress.

IMO has always endeavoured to work with what has become the fabled “spirit of cooperation” to adopt treaties and regulations largely by consensus. I would say that we largely work without resorting to a vote and,as a result, we see wide acceptance of most of the IMO regulations.

This spirit of working together has helped IMO to move forward, to achieve better, safer and more sustainable shipping.

Another factor which has helped promote the development and advancement of IMO over the years has been the focus on capacity building and technical cooperation, to ensure that all IMO Member States can effectively implement IMO treaties.

Reporter: Since you were Secretary General, What experiences and inspirations have you gained from IMO's work? What has gratif i ed you most? Is there anything that makes you regret or uneasy?

Kitack Lim: There have been notable achievements by the Organization since I have taken up my tenure which have certainly inspired me.

I would include here the entry into force of the Ballast Water Management Convention and the work on its implementation; and the decision to bring in the 0.50%limit on sulphur in fuel oil from 2020.

Also in the environmental arena, the most recent example of how IMO works to bring the majority of Member States together was in the adoption of the Initial IMO Strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships by the Marine Environment Protection Committee in April.This important achievement enables the Organization to continue to present itself to the outside world as the competent and uniquely qualified body to be entrusted with the matters on reduction of GHG emissions from international shipping.

I have constantly been inspired by the great collaboration and work both by Member States and by the Secretariat in supporting the Member States. The knowledge and expertise of the Secretariat is immense and they show great professionalism in servicing meetings and ensuring the smooth running of the Organization.

For me personally it has also been immensely satisfying to be able to meet representatives of Member States and the international organizations we work with, and to have important conversations about the work of IMO and its priorities.

It is also a great privilege to be part of the United Nations system and to be working for an Organization which is contributing towards the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.

I certainly have no regrets – although life has become very busy and I need to ensure I also take time to relax and to be with my family!

Reporter: What are the severe challenges for IMO and how to respond?

Kitack Lim: IMO’s challenge for the years to come is to continue to work in collaboration with all stakeholders to create better shipping – for a better future.

The top priorities or you could say challenges to deal with include addressing climate change, and also the implementation of the 2020 sulphur limit; digitalization in the shipping industry, including autonomous ships;and seafarer issues.

IMO has adopted the Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships, in April 2018,which sets out the vision to reduce GHG emissions from international shipping and, as a matter of urgency, to phase them out, as soon as possible in this century.

The Initial Strategy represents a framework for action by IMO for the coming years and includes a list of candidate short, medium and long-term measures that may be needed to achieve the levels of ambition, with possible timelines. These will be discussed and considered for possible adoption. So we are addressing this challenge.We are also working with Member States and other stakeholders to develop relevant guidance to ensure the full and consistent implementation of the 0.50% limit on sulphur in fuel oil which will come into effect on 1 January 2020.

On digitalization, I would say that digital disruption is likely to arrive in the shipping world very soon; and, when it does, IMO must be ready. The rules for shipping must be based firmly around goals and functions rather than prescriptive solutions. This is the only way to make sure that measures adopted by IMO are not rendered obsolete by the time-lag between adoption and entry into force.

Advancements in technologies such as robotics,automation and big data will usher in structural changes.

Fully autonomous ports and semi-autonomous ships are already close to becoming a reality in some countries.And a key strategic direction for IMO is the integration of new and advancing technologies in the regulatory framework - balancing the benefits derived from these technologies against safety and security concerns, the impact on the environment and on international trade facilitation, the potential costs to the industry, and their impact on personnel, both on board and ashore.

IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee has begun its scoping exercise into maritime autonomous surface ships, also known by the acronym MASS. The Legal Committee has also placed the issue on its work programme.

In my view, IMO is well equipped to address all these issues thanks to its great experience and the commitment of Member States.

Another issue I am passionate about is seafarer rights,including fair treatment of seafarers in the event of a maritime accident. This is important for current seafarers and also when we think about attracting new recruits to the profession.

Abandonment of seafarers has also unfortunately become a more common occurrence. In 2017, reported abandonment cases were 55 - nearly triple that in any single recent year over the past five years. While the reasons for abandonment vary, the impacts are devastating on seafarers and their families – loss of wages, inadequate food and medical attention, and an inability to be repatriated and return home to loved ones. IMO, the International Labour Organization, the International Transport Workers Federation and the industry have all been working to help eradicate this problem, but statistics show that it persists.

We have also seen a changing paradigm in the shipping industry regarding the relationship between the seafarer and the company they work for, so rather than a direct link between the seafarer and the shipping company,there is often a manning agency in the middle. So there is a need to consider what the roles and responsibilities of these different stakeholders are.

I am keen for seafarers to make the link between what they do and what we do at IMO. The International Day of the Seafarer, established by IMO, is one way in which IMO as an organization can raise public awareness about the role of seafarers and show seafarers themselves that IMO is concerned about seafarer matters. The Day of the Seafarer is held annually on 25 June and the campaign this year is focusing on “seafarers’ well being”. By addressing the issue of seafarers’ well being and particularly mental health, this campaign can inform specific strategies to tackle stress and other issues affecting seafarers' mental conditions - and make the tools available more widely known.

Reporter: What are the current and future challenges for the shipping industry and what is to be done about them?

Kitack Lim: The shipping industry will need to respond to the increasing demands for cleaner and sustainable shipping. So economic decisions may need to be made,regarding phasing out older, less efficient ships and moving towards new and more eff i cient ship design and technology.

New technologies and changing expectations about safety, environmental protection and social responsibility are a challenge both for the industry as well as IMO –but also present opportunities.

Reporter: Why did the theme of this year's World Maritime Day be set as “IMO 70: Our Heritage –Better Shipping for a Better Future”?

Kitack Lim: Our theme for this year was chosen to mark 70 years since the Convention establishing IMO was adopted in 1948. The aim is to provide opportunities throughout the year to look both at the past and into the years to come.

The theme allows us to reflect and showcase how IMO has developed and adapted while staying true to its overall mission – to promote safe, secure,environmentally sound, efficient and sustainable shipping.

IMO’s heritage for 70 years has been to drive improvements in shipping to achieve a better world today. But we cannot rest on past achievements. Our challenge for the years to come remains the same: to create better shipping - for a better future.

Reporter: We know, the Strategic Plan for the Organization for the six-year period 2018 to 2023 and the High-level Action Plan 2018 to 2019 were adopted in December 2017 by IMO at its 30th session. So, what are the gaps between the actuality and the goal? And what should we focus on for implementing these plans?

Kitack Lim: The Strategic Plan sets out seven strategic direction for IMO: improve implementation; integrate new and advancing technologies in the regulatory framework; respond to climate change; engage in ocean governance; enhance global facilitation and security of international trade; ensure regulatory effectiveness; and ensure organizational effectiveness.

For some of these areas, such as implementation, the gaps are already identified. For example, we have identified which treaties are not ratif i ed by particular countries, and we can work with those countries to support ratif i cation as well as effective implementation.

We also know which conventions have not yet received enough ratifications to bring them into force. This is a key gap I would like to see resolved.

I would highlight here the Cape Town Agreement on fi shing vessel safety. We are working with countries, with the support of other UN partners and non-governmental organizations, to raise awareness of the treaty and support its ratif i cation and entry into force. Bringing into force this important treaty will help to improve safety in one of the most dangerous professions in the world and will support the battle against illegal, unreported and unregulated fi shing.

Another treaty which needs to be brought into force is the Hong Kong ship recycling treaty, which will support safe and environmentally sound recycling. This Convention not only focuses on the protection of the marine environment, but most importantly, guarantees that recycling operations do not pose any unnecessary risk to human health and improving the safety working conditions of ship recycling facilities.

The third treaty not yet in force is the compensation treaty covering the transport of hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) by ship (2010 HNS Convention).When in force, the treaty will provide a regime of liability and compensation for damage caused by HNS cargoes transported by sea, including oil and chemicals,and covers not only pollution damage, but also the risks of fire and explosion, including loss of life or personal injury as well as loss of or damage to property.

China has a good record of ratifying and acceding to IMO treaties, so of course, I would welcome China's ratif i cation of these treaties mentioned here.

On climate change, the Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships provides a clear goal to move towards phasing out GHG emissions from ships. Now, we need to work on the next steps, and consider the candidate measures included in the Strategy and developing an action plan.

The Mandatory IMO Member State Audit Scheme is one in which gaps in effective implementation are being assessed on a country by country basis. Member States can be supported by IMO's technical cooperation programme to improve the way they implement the IMO treaties to which they are Party.

Reporter: Look forward to the future, what will the maritime world look like? Which points do you think the maritime industry should focus on in the future?

Kitack Lim: It is of course impossible to fully predict the future. But we can say with certainty that shipping will continue to be needed to transport commodities and goods around the world, as it has done for centuries.We have seen trade by ship rise considerably in recent decades and the world saw trade by ship increase to 10.6 billion tons in 2017. So in my view, shipping will continue to be the backbone of world trade.

We know that there is an increasing pressure for shipping to be greener and more sustainable. The industry also needs to consider how it can support the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations and consider how it can help achieve the targets under those Goals. The Initial IMO GHG Strategy, for example,sets a clear vision for reducing GHG emissions, so the industry should be considering how it might invest in low carbon fuels and ships in the future.

There will also be challenges, such as dealing with increased automation, digitalization and cyber security.I am convinced that IMO will remain the right global forum where all issues related to global shipping, that come under IMO’s remit, should be discussed. The challenges and opportunities will become clear.