World Maritime University Graduates Class of '23
have acquired information that you did not possess before you enrolled here," he said. "Perhaps more importantly for your future in the international maritime world, you have acquired a real and strong network on which you can rely for decades to come.”In his graduation address, HE Mr Kitack Lim, the first WMU graduate to serve as International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General and WMU Chancellor, said, “Collectively, WMU graduates form a formidable international network, a force for good in the world. Your influence as global citizens, educated in a unique environment
Panama's Arsenio Dominguez Elected as IMO Secretary General
is "not an easy one"."There are undoubtedly challenges ahead as the industry strives to meet the 2030, 2040 and 2050 targets", Platten said, adding that Dominguez "will lead with equal measures of authority, purpose and compassion".The IMO's current secretary-general Kitack Lim from South Korea has served two terms in the role.(Reuters - Reporting by Jonathan Saul; Editing by Jason Neely and Conor Humphries
IMO Creates International Day for Women in Maritime
the recruitment, retention and sustained employment of women in the maritime sector, raise the profile of women in maritime, strengthen IMO's commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality) and support work to address the current gender imbalance in maritime.IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said, "I welcome the Council's adoption of this proposal. Not only does it further efforts to achieve SDG 5 on gender equality, but it is a perfect follow-on action to the IMO Assembly's resolution and call to achieve a barrier-free environment for women, so that all women can participate
COVID-19 Vaccine Offered Free for Seafarers
, expressed similar concerns about the crew change crisis. “The situation is going from bad to worse,” he said. “We need more than lip service from governments; we need concrete action that allows crew changes to be carried out in a safe manner.”Meanwhile, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has urged IMO member states to support a fair global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, to ensure seafarers have access to jabs.“No seafarers should be left behind or forced to forgo their careers because of limited resources in their home country,” Lim said. He added that shipping
IMO Sec Gen: The Crew Change Crisis Remains a Challenge
after concerted efforts from leaders in the maritime community and some improvement in the numbers, the crew change crisis caused by COVID-19 restrictions continues to create challenges, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization has warned.In a statement, IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim said that based on industry analysis, the numbers of seafarers requiring repatriation after finishing their contracts had declined—from a high of around 400,000 in September 2020, to around 200,000 as of March 2021, with a similar number waiting to join ships. However, this number could rise
IMO Head Urges Governments to Resolve Crew Change Crisis
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim is urging governments to take swift action to resolve the crew change crisis that has left several hundred thousand seafarers stranded at sea and unable to be repatriated despite the expiry of their contracts.It is estimated that more than 300,000 mariners are stuck at sea, and a similar number of seafarers have been unable to join ships and relieve them due to restrictions imposed by several governments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, including restrictions on travel, embarkation and disembarkation in ports, quarantine
WMU Calls On Communities To Protect Seafarers’ Rights
to increased calls to their Seafarers Help hotline. While initiatives by welfare organizations are appreciated, shipowners are reminded that repatriation and payment of wages are primarily their responsibility.As the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General and WMU Chancellor Kitack Lim stated on March 19: “…We must also remember the hundreds of thousands of seafarers on ships. They are, unwittingly, on the front line of this global calamity. Their professionalism ensures that the goods we all need are delivered – safely and with minimal impact on our precious
IMO, WISTA Join on Gender Diversity
for Women in the Maritime Sector.Another key part of the MoU is to strengthen cooperation and share best practices between the IMO-established regional women in maritime associations (WIMAs) and WISTA International's national WISTA Associations.The MoU was signed by IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim and WISTA International President Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou.Following this important event, a WISTA information session was organized at IMO Headquarters to raise awareness of the work of WISTA International and its regional/national branches and offer advice on how to join the Association
250 Graduates from 79 Countries: IMO Univ
were 131 MSc graduates from the Malmö headquarters, 42 graduates from the China program, three PhD graduates and 74 graduates from the various distance learning programs. The class of 2019 brings the total number of WMU graduates to 5,167 from 170 countries.IMO Secretary-General and WMU Chancellor Kitack Lim is the first WMU graduate to hold these positions. At the graduation ceremony, he highlighted the profound impact WMU had on his life and noted the responsibility the graduates now have as they return to their home countries.He said “I urge every one of you to assume ownership and shoulder
IMO Emphasis on Empowering Women
Community” has featured prominently in events at the London International Shipping Week (9-13 September).A seminar co-hosted by Inmarsat and WISTA international (10 September) explored the theme of Diversity and Digitization in the Shipping Industry.Opening the event, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said, “If the fundamental nature of work is changing, this is the perfect time to re-examine and re-assess traditional roles and expectations in the workforce – and that means embracing diversity, and equality.” He stressed that promoting gender equality in shipping was important
Maritime Education to Focus on Quality
management and ocean sustainability, governance and management.The class of 2018 brings the total number of WMU graduates to 4,921 from 168 countries, many of whom have gone on to hold senior positions in their countries and in the wider maritime world. Current IMO Secretary-General and WMU Chancellor Kitack Lim is himself a WMU graduate
World Maritime Day Theme 2019: Empowering Women
Goals (SDGs), and to highlight the important contribution of women all over the world to the maritime sector. The Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), meeting for its 120th session at IMO Headquarters in London, endorsed the theme, following a proposal by IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim. “IMO has a strong commitment to helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and continues to support the participation of women in both shore-based and seagoing posts, in line with the goals outlined under SDG 5: 'Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls'
"It is Easy for Seafarers to Feel Lonely and Isolated" Says UN
; the United Nations International Maritime Organization has called on everyone around the world to show appreciation for their vital contributions. “Even though seafaring can provide the basis for a fulfilling and life-long career, it is still a very difficult and demanding job,” Kitack Lim, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), said in his message on Day of the Seafarer. In addition to personal issues, conditions onboard ships and in ports, unpaid wages, and even abandonment, mariners have to contend with long periods away from family and
IMO Addressing Substandard Shipping Issues
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim has stressed the vital importance of collaborative efforts to leave ‘no hiding place’ for substandard shipping. Lim was addressing the third Joint Ministerial Conference of the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding on Port State Control in Vancouver, Canada (May 3-4). Port State Control is the mechanism that enables officials from a port state to board and inspect foreign-flag ships to ensure they comply with the necessary safety and environmental regulations. By sharing
INTERTANKO Reelects Tsakos as Chairman
Dr. Nikolas Tsakos of Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd. was reelected for two further years by the INTERTANKO Council who met this week in London. The Council members also engaged in dialogue with the IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim, as well as the Rt Hon John Hayes CBE, Minister of State (Department for Transport). Lim, who has been Secretary General since January 2016, expressed his positive views about the contribution of INTERTANKO to the regulatory process at IMO: “The contribution made by INTERTANKO to the regulatory process at IMO has been of tremendous value over
