SA to host international maritime event

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

South Africa will host the International Maritime Organization’s World Maritime Day Parallel Event in Durban next year.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula received the official flag for the International Maritime Organization’s World Maritime Day Parallel Event at this year’s event which took place in Cartagena, Colombia, from 15 – 17 September.

The flag was handed over to the Minister during a prestigious ceremony in Cartagena, by the current hosts, the Republic of Colombia, represented by the Vice President Marta Lucia Ramirez.

Mbalula named Durban as the host city for next year’s conference, which will be attended by hundreds of officials from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States, the United Nations (UN) Specialized Agencies, various intergovernmental organizations as well as non-governmental organizations. 

“During this year’s event, Minister Mbalula joined his counterparts from Ghana, United Arab Emirates, Singapore and other countries, to discuss a strategy to promote global partnership as well as regional cooperation on maritime issues.

“Other items on the agenda included women empowerment in the maritime community, the UN Sustainable Development Goals in relation to the governance of the oceans and the revolution of the maritime industry in the era of new technology,” the Ministry of Transport said.

The IMO is a United Nations specialized agency, whose chief objective is to set international standards for safe, secure, environmentally sound, efficient and sustainable shipping. – SAnews.gov.za