IMO has decided to postpone a number of meetings following the global coronavirus outbreak and the determination by the WHO, on 11 March, that the outbreak is now a pandemic
IMO Secretariat said it has been closely monitoring the impact of Covid-19 at local and global levels and has followed advice provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Government of the United Kingdom as the host government and actions taken by other UN agencies.
"Taking into account the rapid increase of cases worldwide and the continuing difficulties for some delegates from IMO member states travelling from abroad to attend IMO meetings, and the determination by the World Health Organization, on 11 March, that the outbreak is now pandemic," IMO said, the following meetings are now postponed:
IMO said secretary general Kitack Lim will consult with member states and members of the council to determine any additional postponements that may be required in the interest of public health and safety.
IMO said it will announce the rescheduling of postponed meetings so delegates can make appropriate arrangements, adding that further updates about meetings currently scheduled for April will be provided as soon as possible.
The latest postponements are in addition to the pair of meetings IMO postponed last week, the meeting of the Scientific Group of the London Convention and its Legal Committee.
Other conferences such as the annual Transpacific Maritime Conference in California and the International Partnering Forum have also been cancelled or rescheduled.
Top photo by Kelvin Trautman, courtesy IMO, downloaded from Flickr under CC2.0 license.
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