By Trend

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will conduct several programs in Western Asia and Eastern Europe region in 2022-2023, Trend reports to IMO’s integrated technical cooperation program.

IMO will work to enhance the harmonization of flag state implementation and port state control activities in the Caspian Sea area in 2022-2023.

"The focus on improving the implementation of major IMO instruments such as SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea), MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships), STCW (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping), BWM (Ballast Water Management Convention), London Convention/London Protocol (LC/LP) and AFS (International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems in Ships) and in particular new amendments to these instruments, is the core of the program for the next biennium," says the document.

IMO also plans to provide additional training through the regional program for administrators, maritime experts and relevant personnel in the maritime sector, which will ensure effective monitoring of the maritime transportation system and minimize the risk of maritime accidents, particularly those caused by ships carrying dangerous or polluting goods.

Moreover, taking into consideration the proposed Capacity-Building Decade Strategy (document TC 71/7), and guided by the regional meeting for the heads of maritime administrations, the regional program will support the formulation of plans of action that identify specific priorities, timelines and sequence of implementation tailored to the maritime domain of each interested member state from the region. It is expected that this initiative will lead to legislative, infrastructure, training and equipment needs being identified, and appropriate actions being included in country partnership plans developed with IMO.

Tailored technical assistance will also be provided to assist member states with their implementation of the IMSAS Corrective Action Plans fully utilizing the analysis of the CASRs (Analysis of consolidated audit summary reports). The rate of the rollout of this program will be subject to the availability of donor funding.

"Turkmenistan’s involvement in these programs will be a decision that the maritime authorities make," IMO told Trend.

The IMO said Turkmenistan is involved in a number of projects in 2020. Turkmenistan has been an IMO member since 1993. The country worked on a number of projects with the organization including the Caspian Sea States cooperate on pollution response in 2017 and the Supporting oil spill preparedness in the Caspian Sea in 2018.