Throughout the past month, the Ukrainian delegation participated in two meetings of the International Maritime Organization, namely the 134th session of the Council (07–11 July) and the 11th session of the Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments (21–25 July).
The Council Members meeting, attended by Ukraine as an observer, took place amid preparations for the next biennial Assembly session. The highest governing body of IMO is scheduled to meet in November, so a range of strategic issues were put on the Council’s agenda.
The session opened with a speech by the Secretary General of the Organization, Mr. Arsenio Domínguez. Stressing that any attacks against international shipping, the lives and health of seafarers and port workers are unacceptable, he condemned the 03 July shelling of the Odesa Commercial Sea Port. At that time, a russian Iskander ballistic missile strike killed two people and injured ten more, damaging the AJ ROSE ship flying the flag of São Tomé and Príncipe.
In its statement, the Ukrainian delegation emphasised the systematic nature of the russian federation’s attacks against port infrastructure. Ahead of new elections to the Council, it was pointed out that membership in this body must only be reserved for those who respect good order at sea, international maritime and humanitarian law.
Ukraine’s position, further outlined in IMO Circular Letter No. 5051, received backing from Australia, Canada, Finland, Norway, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as Denmark on behalf of the European Union. Attempts by the russian delegation to blame the shelling on Ukraine and its partners found no support among the participating states.
Also, in accordance with resolution A.1183(33) “The Impact of the russian Armed Invasion of Ukraine on International Shipping”, the Secretary-General reported on progress made on the technical assistance project for Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation expressed its gratitude to France, the United Kingdom, and the European Commission for their financial contributions. It also acknowledged the project implementation plan, developed by the IMO Secretariat on the basis of analytical studies and a needs assessment for a special maritime corridor operation in the Black Sea.
Ukraine-related issues were raised separately during the session of the Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments. For instance, the Sub-Committee confirmed the need for stricter checks of crew members’ financial security during port state control inspections (PSC). The relevant document, prepared by Ukraine and dedicated to addressing the abandonment of seafarers, had been considered by the Organization’s Legal Committee earlier, in March. In addition, the Ukrainian delegation supported further development of the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) PSC module, noting that facilitated exchange of information on ship safety would help combat the russian “shadow fleet” and other contemporary threats.
The Shipping Administration has been working with the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom in order to protect the interests of the Ukrainian maritime community internationally and counter the impact of the russian federation on the IMO activities.