The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA) training arm, the MPA Academy (MPAA) is conducting its first regional workshop on the IMSAS in Singapore from 17 to 21 October 2016 for 26 participants from the Asia and Arab regions. The workshop is jointly organised by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the MPA Academy.
Organised within the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Singapore and the IMO concerning the Third Country Training Programme (TCTP), the aim of the workshop is to assist IMO Member States in the process of preparing for the audit under IMSAS. Through lectures, discussions and exercises, participants will gain the skills necessary to recognise potential problems and difficulties that may arise during audit preparation and be better equipped to resolve them.
The IMSAS is intended to provide audited Member States with a comprehensive and objective assessment of how effectively it administers and implements IMO instruments while assisting Member States to improve their capabilities and overall performance in compliance with the requirements. The results of the audits would then be systematically fed back into the regulatory process at IMO to help make measurable improvements to the effectiveness of the international regulatory framework of shipping.
The MPAA regional workshop will welcome three key lecturers: Mr Lawrence Barchue, Director, Department for Member State Audit and Implementation Support (IMO) and IMO Consultants, Capt. Cahit Yalcin, Ministerial Counsellor, Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications (Turkey) and Mr Lim Hock Lye, Senior Assistant Director of MPA (Flag State Control) to lecture and share their experiences in the audit journey.
Mr Barchue said,
“As the global standard-setting authority for safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping, IMO Member States are encouraged to take all necessary measures in preparation for their audits under IMSAS. A primary objective of IMSAS is to provide audited Member States with a comprehensive and objective assessment of how effectively it administers and implements the provisions of the mandatory IMO instruments covered by IMSAS. Through workshops such as this, IMO aims to assist Member States to better prepare for the audit and identify any capacity-building related needs.”
Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA remarked,
“We fully support the mandatory audit scheme as a key tool for assessing Member States’ performances in meeting their obligations and responsibilities as flag, port and coastal States. Through this, Singapore hopes to enhance IMO Member States’ capacities to effectively implement international maritime regulations and standards.”
Since 1998, under the Singapore-IMO Third Country Training Programme (TCTP), MPA and the IMO Secretariat have been working together to conduct courses for different regions spanning Asia, the Middle East, Pacific Islands and Africa.
Source & Image credit: MPA Singapore