Indonesia Rallies Support for Renomination as International Maritime Organization Council Member
Jakarta. Indonesia has rallied the support of fellow member states of the International Maritime Organization to nominate it as a Category C member of the body's council for 2019-2021, during the 101st session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee Assembly in London on Tuesday.
Indonesia made itself available for renomination as a member of the council, which will be determined during an assembly session in London in November.
"As a member of the IMO Council, Indonesia has a strong bargaining position and important, strategic functions in many things in the field of sea transportation. In fact, Indonesia also is directing and drafting international maritime rules and policies that affect national maritime policies," Sea Transportation Director General R. Agus H. Purnomo, who heads the Indonesian delegation, said in London on Tuesday.
"By being an IMO Council member, Indonesia could be involved in business development and shipping law on an international scale," he added.
Agus said Indonesia, as the world's largest archipelagic nation, has made many contributions to global maritime safety, security and protection. He cited as an example, the establishment and adoption by the IMO of a traffic separation scheme in the Sunda Strait and Lombok Strait.
To raise support, Indonesia sponsored a coffee break session during the event and presented promotional material and publications regarding its participation as a Category C member.
The IMO is a special United Nations body responsible for global shipping safety and marine pollution prevention. It currently has 172 countries as members. Indonesia has served on the IMO Council since 1973.
The council, which is an implementing body under the assembly, manages and supervises the activities and work of the organization.
Category C of the council is comprised of 20 members with special interests in sea transportation. The category was established to ensure a fair geographical distribution.
In addition to Indonesia, other countries in the Category C council are Singapore, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta, Morocco, Egypt, Mexico, Malaysia, Peru, Belgium, Chile, the Philippines, Denmark, South Africa, Jamaica, Kenya, Thailand, Liberia and the Bahamas.
Category A is comprised of countries with the largest international commercial shipping fleets and sea transportation providers. They are China, Japan, Italy, Panama, Greece, South Korea, Russia, Britain, Norway and the United States.
Category B is comprised of 10 countries that have the greatest interest in sea trade services or international seaborne trade. They are Germany, India, Australia, France, Canada, Spain, Brazil, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.
"Therefore, the support IMO member countries have given Indonesia is expected to strengthen cooperation and further contribute to the future of the IMO and the development of global sea transportation, especially in the field of shipping safety and maritime environmental protection," Agus said.
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