IMO in full support of further developments in Philippine Maritime Industry

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu pledged his full support to the Philippine maritime industry and engaged in talks with the President Benigno S. Aquino III for further developments in the industry during his two-day visit in the country.

Together with the country’s Secretaries for Foreign affairs, Transport and Communication, and Labour Employment, Mr. Sekimizu acknowledged the importance of the Philippines to the global maritime scene and specifically lauded the country for its continuous supply of competent seafarers.

Also, the IMO Secretary-General affirmed the organization’s commitment to provide the Philippines with assistance in all aspects of its maritime development including on the fields of education, training, and certification of seafarers under the STCW Convention.

Sekimizu also discussed his vision of a wider approach to technical cooperation, which would be based directly on the identification, through detailed country profiles, of the individual maritime needs of each developing country.

He further promised IMO’s support for the Philippines’ efforts to formulate a national maritime transport strategy comprising seafaring, ship building and repair, and ship management. Mr Sekimizu and the Philippines’ Secretary of Transport and Communication Mr. Mar Roxas also agreed to establish a channel of communication between IMO and the Philippine Government.

Emphasizing IMO’s determination to improve counter-piracy measures off the coast of Somalia, the Secretary-General extended an invitation to the Philippines to send a delegation to the forthcoming Capacity-building Conference on Counter-Piracy.

IMO Secretary-General Sekimizu visited the Philippines from 7 to 8 February 2012, in his first official mission to a Member State since he took office last January.