SEYCHELLES AT THE CENTRE OF MARITIME TRANSPORT POLICY DISCUSSIONS
(Posted 12th November 2016)
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has conducted a National Maritime Transport Policy (NMTP) seminar for Seychelles. The Maritime Policy module developed by IMO and the World Maritime University is key to the maritime development and advancement of developing countries.
Held at the Seychelles Petroleum Company’s, the three-day NMTP workshop was attended by those involved in the development, adoption and review of the policy in Seychelles.
Addressing the delegates on November 03rd, the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine Alain St.Ange said it is needed for us to bring our legislation to date, to speed up the formalities to the Attorney General’s office as it has to be in line with the requirements laid out by IMO.
He assured all present that the principal secretary for civil aviation, ports and marine Garry Albert will work closely with the Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration headed by Captain Joachim Valmont as we feel it is important to maintain the high standard that is expected of a small country like Seychelles.
Minister St.Ange said the workshop came at an opportune time now that work is being done to make SMSA an autonomous body. He added that it is one of the civil aviation, ports and marine department’s key priorities to get it approved.
State of Maritime Policy in Seychelles, maritime transport policy– its strategies, objectives and development process– and the role of international maritime law treaties and integrating them in policy making were among the topics covered during the workshop.
The aim of IMO’s activities in the field of maritime transport policy is to bring more awareness on the importance of an NMTP as a good governance practice by engaging the representatives of the various government ministries, agencies and other possible partners in a meaningful dialogue, aimed at laying the foundation for developing such a policy which could also form part of or be parallel to a broader national integrated maritime policy or ocean governance policy.
The exercise is part of a series of workshops and seminars being conducted in various parts of the world to test a maritime transport policy training package developed by IMO and the World Maritime University (WMU).
The aim is to provide training to interested IMO member states in the development, adoption and updating of such policies, which are key to a coordinated and integrated approach to maritime transport.
SMSA has been identified as one of the countries in the region to benefit from the first set of the ‘roll out plans’ on the subject matter.
Apart from the NMTP workshop, a national training course on marine accident investigation is being hosted by SMSA since Monday and will be held until November 15th.
Marine and Ports is now part of the Tourism portfolio, together with Civil Aviation under Minister Alain St. Ange, finally bundling all relevant areas like aviation and cruises together with the mainstream tourism oversight, no doubt benefiting the industry as a whole massively in coming years through closer cooperation and alignment of measures.
