On 16 June, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the President of WMU, Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, and Dr. Sung-Gwi Kim, President of the Korean Maritime Institute (KMI). In the framework of this MoU, WMU and KMI will cooperate on research, share information, and organize joint seminars on mutually agreed maritime themes.
The signing of the MoU was followed by the hosting of a WMU-KMI seminar on the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS): Current Practices and Future Challenges. The seminar was open to all WMU students.
In her opening remarks to the IMSAS seminar, President Doumbia-Henry stated, “This event is the first joint activity with the Korean Maritime Institute (KMI), a leading maritime research institute under the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences in the Republic of Korea…The auditing scheme is probably one of the most important tools available to assist member States in reviewing and assessing their own performance with respect to their obligations under the relevant IMO Conventions they have ratified. Effective implementation and enforcement will contribute to enhancing maritime safety and leveling the playing field. It would also make an important contribution to a number of theUN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goals 7, 13 and 14.” Goal 7 is aimed at ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, Goal 13 calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, and Goal 14 focuses on conserving and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
President Kim stated, “KMI has been a think-tank for developing national policies on maritime affairs and fisheries in the form of research and consultancy…Having fully supported this joint seminar between WMU and KMI, I surely believe that this event is a milestone for both organizations that are keen drivers in research, education and training in maritime affairs and policy.”
Distinguished speakers included representatives from the Danish Maritime Authority, the European Commission, the International Maritime Organization, the Korea Maritime Institute, the Korean Register, The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea, and the United States Coast Guard. Areas covered included experiences, lessons learned and challenges in the audit process, the role of classification societies and improvement of maritime regulatory developments, requirements regarding quality management in the III code, views on IMSAS as a Member State to IMO, audit scheme standards and processes, capacity building in relation to IMSAS, and the EU approach to IMSAS.
