IMO Maritime Safety Committee convenes in London to discuss safety and security of international shipping

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez opened the 111th session of the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization, which brings together IMO's 176 Member States to discuss issues related to the safety and security of international shipping.

Key items on the agenda (13 to 22 May) include the adoption of the first non-mandatory Code to regulate autonomous ships, enhancing maritime security, updates on piracy and armed robbery against ships, and efforts to develop a a safety regulatory framework for alternative fuels.

The Committee will also discuss the impacts on shipping and seafarers of the situation in the Arabian Sea, the Sea of Oman and the Gulf region, particularly in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

Opening the session, Secretary-General Dominguez highlighted the ongoing challenges in the Strait of Hormuz, including 38 verified attacks on international shipping, 11 seafarer fatalities with around 20,000 still effectively stranded. IMO has developed an evacuation plan for vessels and seafarers, to be implemented once it is safe to do so.

"These seafarers are facing sustained security threats and severe psychological pressure. This is an unacceptable situation for a civilian workforce.... The longer this situation persists, the greater the risk of a serious maritime incident," he said.

The meeting runs from 13 May to 22 May.