The UAE wins the renewal of its membership in the Council of the International Maritime Organization Category "B"

 The UAE topped the elections for membership of the International Maritime Organization, Category B, for the third time in a row, following a comprehensive and intense campaign that preceded the elections hosted by the British capital, "London". in the maritime and logistics industry worldwide.

The results of the elections were announced today, during the 32nd session of the Assembly of the International Maritime Organization in London, which will run until 15 December.

With its re-election to the IMO Council, the UAE has received international acclaim for its pivotal role in developing strategies, policies and agreements that enhance maritime safety standards, contribute to preserving its environment and enhance the efficiency of the maritime sector globally.

Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, expressed his happiness with this achievement, and said: The UAE continues to reaffirm its leading position as a global maritime center by winning the elections to the IMO Council for the third time in a row, which reinforces the active role What the UAE is doing in developing the maritime sector and consolidating maritime safety standards, as well as protecting the marine environment worldwide. On this occasion, I would like to thank His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and all partners in the maritime sector whose efforts have contributed to Achieving this exceptional achievement and classifying our country among the most influential countries in developing the maritime industry.

Al Mazrouei added: “All countries of the world are aware of the efforts made by the UAE in the maritime sector, and even after our election to the IMO Council in 2017, we have made major achievements in the maritime sector at the local level, with a focus on meeting regional and global maritime needs in terms of the availability of infrastructure.” and providing the best advanced services. Today, these efforts culminated in the re-election of the UAE to the Council of the International Maritime Organization for the third time in a row. The efficiency of the sector helped consolidate the country's position as a leading global maritime center.

He explained that the contribution of the maritime sector to the gross domestic product of the UAE amounted to more than 90 billion dirhams, and more than 15 million containers were handled through the country's ports during the past year, and more than 25,000 commercial ships arrived at the UAE ports in the same year, exceeding the tonnage of ships The country has 21 million tons, while the size of the UAE fleet reached 970 ships in 2020, stressing that the country’s re-election to the IMO Council constitutes an additional incentive to continue working with the rest of the member states to advance the global maritime sector by achieving safety, security and efficiency of maritime transport.

The UAE leads many global competitiveness indicators in the maritime sector, and ranked third globally in facilitating seaborne trade and supplying ships with fuel, fifth globally among the most important international maritime centers, and 13th globally in the port services index and performance efficiency. The country's ports are among the top ten international ports in terms of container handling. More than 27,000 marine companies operate in the UAE, and the country's ports are among the best in the world.

Engineer Hassan Mohamed Juma Al Mansouri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for the Infrastructure and Transport Sector, said:The UAE is, without a doubt, one of the leading countries in the global maritime sector, and has made tremendous contributions, promoting the growth of trade and the shipping sector worldwide, and has contributed significantly to this industry by taking pioneering steps to support and protect the maritime shipping sector. The country's ports have The best infrastructure and the latest technology in the world, and the strategic location of the UAE has contributed to its transformation into a leading center for maritime business in the Arab Gulf region, East Africa and the Indian subcontinent, and during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, all ports in the country were opened throughout The hour is to fully provide its services, to maintain the flow of global trade and the continuity of the work of marine supply chains, and we are proud of the UAE’s re-election to the membership of the IMO Council Category /B/, which came as a result of the hard work we have made with our partners in the maritime sector in the country.

The UAE contributes to supporting the maritime sector in several aspects, as it was one of the first member states of the International Maritime Organization to classify seafarers as “priority workers” who are on the front line of the Covid-19 pandemic, and provided all the necessary facilities for changing and changing crews. In addition to providing free approved vaccines against the Covid-19 virus to all key workers, including seafarers and port employees working in the country's waters.

As part of its continuous efforts to support the maritime sector, the state has established a single national window for the UAE, as well as the National Committee that links the maritime, air, land and railway transport sectors, as this contributed to the promotion of trade through a unified digital portal, which qualified the state to operate ports in 50 countries around the world. the scientist.

The UAE is one of the leading countries in supporting and empowering women in the maritime sector, and it currently holds the presidency of the Arab Women’s Association in the Maritime Sector (AWIMA) in cooperation with the International Maritime Organization’s Technical Cooperation Program in supporting women in the maritime sector to achieve the United Nations sustainable development goals, especially the fifth goal. concerned with achieving gender equality, and the UAE is one of the founders of the International Maritime Organization’s Communication Network for Gender Equality (IMOGENder), which is a forum for delegates of IMO member states, aimed at achieving gender equality.

The UAE participates positively and effectively in all the work of the IMO Assembly, the Council, the main technical committees, sub-committees and related working groups.

Mohammed Khamis Al Kaabi, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Maritime Organization, said: Through its membership in the International Maritime Organization, the UAE continues its role in contributing to the development of the maritime sector, and in cooperation with member states, the state has participated in developing the best ways to develop the regulatory scope of autonomous maritime vessels. Leadership within the framework of the Maritime Safety Committee and the Legal Committee, and recently contributed to a number of major reforms such as amending the International Maritime Organization Convention by submitting a proposal to increase the membership of the Organization’s Council to consist of 52 members, in addition to a proposal to increase the term of the Council’s work for four years.The UAE participated in the work of the Legal Committee by submitting a decision to develop new measures to prevent illegal practices associated with fraudulent registration and forged ship records. It also contributed to the work of the Technical Cooperation Committee by preparing a draft decision on funding and partnership arrangements for an effective and sustainable integrated technical cooperation program. Our re-election is of our confidence, and will motivate us to further our efforts to accelerate the growth of the maritime sector.

The UAE is one of the first countries to contribute to the efforts of the International Maritime Organization to establish the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden, since its establishment in 1983, through its active membership in the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee, between 1983 and 1991, in addition to the country’s participation in many national forums And international, which aims to transfer and exchange experiences in the field of maritime education and training.

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