IMO has established a new department within the IMO Secretariat to support member states promoting sustainable development in shipping
The Department of Partnerships and Projects will operate from 1 March 2020. An IMO statement said the department will work to establish and strengthen partnerships with external stakeholders and donor agencies to tackle the major challenges facing the maritime industry.
It is the focal point for developing partnerships, co-ordinating long-term donor-funded projects and implementing IMO’s resource mobilisation strategy to strengthen its integrated technical co-operation programme.
The new department is part of IMO’s initiative to help member states achieve the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
It will help set up partnership opportunities between member states, UN agencies, financial bodies, NGOs, IGOs and the private sector. One of the objectives will be to increase IMO’s existing portfolio of donor-supported long-term projects supporting its technical co-operation objectives.
With the new department, the existing Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation team within IMO’s Technical Co-operation division and the Major Projects team in the Marine Environment division come together under a single umbrella.
The overall aim remains to promote collaboration and innovation. IMO is already collaborating with Norway for the GreenVoyage 2050 project, which aims to transfer technology and technical know-how to eight developing countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific region in support of reaching the 2050 emissions reduction target.
IMO secretary general Kitack Lim said, "For the benefits of sustainable development to be evenly spread, all countries must be able to play a full and active part in maritime activities. Building partnerships is key to this. This new department will help that to happen. It is very much in line with my vision of a ′Voyage Together’, where no one is left behind when it comes to the effective implementation of IMO’s global standards."
The new department is headed by Jose Matheickal, who has worked on and co-ordinated major projects at IMO for over 15 years. He will be supported by Youngso Kim, who will lead the partnerships function within the new structure.
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