Re-election of Singapore to the International Maritime Organization council

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore 'l 460 Alexandra Road PSA Building d1 9-00 Singapore 1 9963 Tel: (65) 6375 1 600 Fax: (65) 6275 9247 ^^r-> Al-rjD -if> http://www. mpa. gov.sg M P A SIN CAP ORE 24 January 2017 Mr Rene Arikas Director General Estonian Maritime Administration Valge 4 11413 Tallinn Estonia Dear /k d^'f*t, RE.ELECTION OF SINGAPORE TO THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION COUNCIL I have the honour to inform you that Singapore is seeking re-election to the International Maritime Organization (lMO) Council, under Category "C", at the elections to be held during the 30th Regular Session of the IMO Assembly from 27 November to 1 December 2017 in London, the United Kingdom. 2 As a maritime nation, Singapore is committed to advancing the IMO's mission of promoting safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans. Singapore's unique status as a major flag State, port State, and littoral State of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, allows us to offer a balanced and unique position on issues at the lMO. 3 Singapore has been an active participant and contributor at the lMO, serving in various leadership positions and promoting international co-operation on key maritime issues. Under the IMO's "Protection of Vital Shipping Lanes" initiative, the Co- operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection was launched in Singapore in 2007. Today, it remains an important framework for international co-operation in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. Singapore currently chairs the Aids to Navigation Fund Committee under the Co-operative Mechanism. 4 Singapore also actively supports the IMO's Member State Audit Scheme which aims to enhance compliance with IMO regulations and improve shipping standards. To date, Singapore has contributed auditors to the IMO audit pool and has been conducting training courses to help prepare IMO Member States for audits since fi SINGAPORI QUAUTY MARITIME SINGAPORE -  2010' singapore will continue to actively parlicipate and contribute implementation of the rMo Member state Audit scheme. to the 5 Having herself benefited from technical assistance in the past, singapore firmly believes in helping other lMo also Member states achieve theii deveropment we have trained over 1,900 participants goals. from Africa, Asia-pacific, the caribbean the Middle East under the singapore-lMo and rhird country Training programme the last 19 years, and will continue over to do so in future. ln aoiltion, through repositioned MPA Academy, singapore the is also providing greater training for building up the next generation opportunities of maritime leaders. ., 6 As part of contributing to a sustainable with the lMo' organised the inaugural maritime transport system, singapore, Future Ready shipping conference september 2015 and witl be holding in the second edition in september conference is a platform for IMo Member 2017. The states, industry and other stakeholders, foster greater uptake, transfer, and to utilisation of technologies that international shipping's move to a more energy-efficient will facilitate and low-carbon future. 7 I enclose an aide-m,moire with further details of singapore,s contributions the IMO and beyond. at 3,, 0r 1, 3[ i:??"iitT*l +: :::: for singapore's supporr for Estoniats :ll#:: lt h 1.. 1,s1" "d-!q s u pp-o rr s n g a p ore,s i the United Nations security council candidatur" f", ;;*Hi:#'J;ffi;:lil:: for the term 2020-202L lt will be Singapore to continue serving the an honour for international maritime community through membership on the lMo council. I look fonrrard to future opportunities for our cooperation between our maritime further agencies. Yours k'ul , * nrvoniw rnrv CHIEF EXECUTIVE MARITIME AND PORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE Encl - Aide Memoire on singapore's rMo councir candidature AIDE-MEMOIRE The 30th Regular Session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly is scheduled for November 2017 in London. Elections for the 40 IMO Council members will be held during this Assembly Session. 2 The Republic of Singapore is seeking re-election to the Council under Category "C" at this 30th Session of the IMO Assembly. Singapore has activeiy contributed to the IMO Council since 1993, and looks forward to continue doing so. As a major flag State, port State, and coastal State of a vital international shipping lane, Singapore brings a unique and balanced perspective to the IMO. 3 Singapore is a major maritime nation with a large shipping registry and one of the world's busiest ports, situated along a key maritime trade route. International shipping plays a key role in Singapore's economy, and we are constantly innovating and exploring new ways to contribute to the international maritime community. Our port continues to be one of the most efficient and reliable container transshipment ports in the world. 4 Our ship registry is among the five largest in the world, with more than 4,700 merchant vessels totalling 88.0 million gross tonnes (GT) as of 2016. As a major hub port along the busy Straits of Malacca and Singapore ("the Straits"), Singapore's vessel arrivals by tonnage reached 2.66billiongross tonnes in 2016. Singapore is also one of the world's busiest container ports, handling 30.9 million Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) that same year. 5 Our unique circumstance of being a major flag State, port State, and coastal State of a key waterway enables Singapore to appreciate the varied interests in intemational shipping and bring our balanced perspective to maritime issues at the IMO. Singapore has and will continue to take an inclusive approach and work with all IMO Member States to ensure that the views and interests of all parties are taken into account in the work and decision-making of the IMO. Singapore is strongly committed to the IMO's mission and is contributing significantly to its capacity-building activities 6 Singapore is fully committed to advancing the IMO's mission of promoting safe, secure, and efficient shipping on clean oceans. Since becoming an IMO Council Member in 1993, Singapore has chaired the IMO Council, the then Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and Gases, as well as the then Sub-Committee on Flag State Implementation. Singapore has also served as Vice-Chair of the Marine Environment Protection Committee and the Maritime Safety Committee,'and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping. In addition, we continue to participate actively in the formulation of the IMO's Strategic Framework, which sets out the IMO's directions for the period 2018-2023. Page 1 of4 7 Singapore believes in helping other States achieve their development goals, having outselves benefitted from technical assistance in the past. We advocate the universal and uniform implementation of IMO instruments, and actively support the IMO's Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme (ITCP) to build developing IMO Member States' capacities to implement international maritime regulations and standards. As a major contributor to the IMo's budget, Singapore has always championed funds for the ITCP. 8 As the first State to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Third Country Training Programme (TCTP) with the IMO, Singapore provides technical assistance to developing IMo Member States from Asia, Africa, Americas, the Caribbean, Middle East, and the Pacific Islands. Singapore has trained more than 1,900 participants from over 85 IMO Member States over the last i9 years under the TCTP, and is honoured to have the opportunity to continue doing so through the MPA Academy, a training institute under the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (I\GA). 9 In recent years, the MPA Academy has expanded its suite of global maritime leadership development programmes. It launched the Advanced Maritime Leaders Programme in20l5 to help Chief Executives and their Deputies from maritime and port administrations all over the world develop skills and knowledge to effectively lead and transform their organizations in an increasingly complex and globalised environment. The MPA Academy also introduced the Port Management Programme in 2014 specifically for port masters and harbour masters on topics such as master planning for new ports, vessel traffi.c management, maritime security, and crisis communications management. The MPA Academy concluded the sixth run of the Maritime Public Leaders Programme in October 2016, which helps senior maritime officials broaden their knowledge on a wide range of topics from port planning and management to shipping economics and public leadership and governance. These programmes also facilitate exchanges among maritime leaders and senior officials. 10 To further strengthen global maritime leadership development, the MPA Academy and World Maritime University (WMU) signed an MOU in2015. To date, Singapore has hosted more than 200 WMU students for field study visits under the port management specialisation in the WMU Master programme. The MPA Academy will continue to support such development initiatives. Singapore believes in safe, open, responsible, and sustainable shipping 11 Singapore is deeply committed to promoting safe and open shipping on clean oceans. The good safety record of vessels flagged under the Singapore Registry of Ships (SRS) is testament to this. Singapore has ratified and implemented every major IMO convention in force relating to ship safety and the prevention of pollution from ships. Page 2 of 4  12 Under the IMO's "Protection of Vital Shipping Lanes" initiative, Singapore has, together with Indonesia and Malaysia, developed the Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore ("Co-operative Mechanism") to keep the Straits safe and open for international shipping. Launched in2007 in Singapore, the Co-operative Mechanism continues to be an important platform for user States and major stakeholders to engage the littoral States on key issues and initiatives conceming the Straits. 13 As a strong supporter of safety at sea, Singapore launched a Safety@Sea campaign rn2014, an industry-wide efforl to increase awareness of safe practices and inculcate a safety-first culture at sea. Building on the campaign, Singapore organized the inaugural Intemational Safety@Sea Conference in August 2016 which brought together more than 30 international speakers and industry experts to share on best practices for safety at sea. Singapore is keen to work with like-minded Member States and maritime authorities, international organizattons, and industry associations to promote a culture of safety awareness and raise safety standards in intemational shipping. 14 Singapore has also been an active supporter of the IMO's Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme (VIMSAS), now institutionalised as the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS), to enhance compliance with IMO regulations and reduce sub-standard shipping. We participated in the Pilot Audit Project in 2004 and contributed two qualified auditors to the IMO auditor pool. Singapore was successfully audited under the VIMSAS in 2008, with results showing that we had complied with all the provisions of the conventions to which Singapore is party. To support effective implementation of the IMSAS, Singapore has been conducting training programmes, including hosting a regional workshop on the IMSAS in October 2016 where we shared our experience with preparing for audits. 15 Recognising the importance of enhancing maritime security, Singapore was among the first States in the world to comply fully with the IMO's International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. To complement the ISPS Code and further enhance security in our port, Singapore has embarked on the installation of new Automatic Identification System-Class B (AIS-B) transponders and Electronic Chafi Systems (ECS) on all small harbour and pleasure craft operating in our waters. 16 Singapore strongly believes in the importance of a sustainable maritime transport system, and in being prepared to meet the future needs of the maritime industry. Singapore, with the IMO, organized the inaugural Future Ready Shipping Conference in Septemb er 2015 and will hold the second edition in Septemb er 2017 . The Conference brings together IMO Member States, industry leaders, and other stakeholders to engage in a global dialogue on encouraging greater uptake, transfer, and utilisation of technologies to facilitate international shipping's move to a more energy-efficient and low-carbon future. Page 3 of4 Singapore plays an active part in international efforts to tackle piracy 17 Singapore is a founding member of the Regional Co-operation Agreement Against Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), the first regional government-to-government initiative to promote co-operation against piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. Singapore also plays host to the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC), established in2006, and is the largest financial contributor to the ReCAAP ISC. The objectives of the ReCAAP ISC include information sharing, capacity building, and fostering greater co-operation among ReCAAP members to tackle piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. The ReCAAP ISC celebrated its tenth anniversary in March 2016. Singapore continues to jointly conduct sea and air maritime security patrols of the Straits with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. 18 Singapore has also contributed to the fight against piracy beyond Asia, in the Gulf of Aden. Since 2009, Singapore has commanded the multinational Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 four times, with the most recent from April to June 2016, and has deployed task groups to CTF 151 annually, comprising a naval frigate and a naval helicopter. 19 Singapore remains deeply concemed about piracy and armed robbery against ships and will continue to work through the IMO to ensure that the situation in regions affected by piracy receives international attention. The Council of the IMO: Singapore's candidature under Category "C" 20 Singapore hopes that re-election to the IMO Council will allow us to fi.rther contribute to the IMO's mission, and seeks Member States' support at the forthcoming election in November/Decemb er 2017 . Page 4 of4