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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
LONDON, UK - The following is a statement delivered by Minister of Transport and Aviation, the
Honourable Glenys Hanna Martin during The 29th Session of the IMO
Assembly. Hanna Martin and a
Bahamian delegation are in London for the IMO elections to the Council
on Friday. The Bahamas is seeking re-election on the IMO's Council in
Category C:
Mr President, Secretary General, Distinguished Ministers and Delegates:
I am very pleased to be here and to have this opportunity to address you on behalf of the people of The Bahamas.
I do so at a time when our country is seeking to recover from the ravages of a devastating Category 4 hurricane which ripped through the southeastern islands of our country.
When this hurricane first formed , and posing no apparent threat, many of us were not sure of the pronunciation of its name and this became the source of humour throughout the country: it became variously known as Joeaquin, Hoaquin and other such variations. However, when this monster storm unleashed its fury on our country all humour fell away and we came to learn the correct pronunciation: “Joaquin”.
This storm came to defy all of the scientific models and projections of the National Hurricane Centre: while the projections placed the storm as moving out to sea, it continued to move ominously towards The Bahamas and ultimately to strike our islands with intense force , remaining stationary for many hours over island communities with great ferocity.
The destruction of property in our country has been immense into the tens of millions of dollars but it is through the grace of an almighty God that no life was lost.
That was just a few short weeks ago but it is the resilience of the Bahamian people which is represented by my presence here today to actively and fully participate in this 29th Session of the IMO Assembly.
The deliberation, decision making and policy formation of this august body have far ranging and wide reaching implications to the world. We are proud therefore to have acceded to all of the major IMO Conventions as full and compliant members of this body. As a maritime people we are particularly aware of this. We are archipelagic in our geographic configuration and have a way of life deeply influenced by the constant presence of the sea.
We are low lying as a small island developing state and are therefore vulnerable on a number of fronts; however we have great diversity in the maritime sector:
We have ports that welcome premiere cruise ships, making us one of the largest cruise ship destinations in the region.
We play a significant role in the facilitation of world trade by way of a container terminal port in Freeport, Grand Bahama which serves as a major hub for worldwide transshipment of containerized cargo.
The Bahamas hosts a ship repair and dry docking facility with a maximum lifting capacity of close to 90,000 tonnes including 3 floating dry docks.
We have placed a premium on maritime training and education of our youth population. The Bahamas Government through the auspisces of the Bahamas Maritime Authority and in collaboration with the Bahamas Shipowners Association has created a basic maritime training programme called the Maritime Cadet Corps which targets young men and women in high schools throughout the country.
Further and higher education in the maritime field is also supported in partnership with the College of The Bahamas and other domestic and international institutions for the training of young Bahamian maritime professionals. And our young people have performed exceptionally well both locally and in the international arena.
We are very pleased that our specific focus on capacity building is in accord with the theme and emphasis of the upcoming World Maritime Day. We are proud to be among the few countries that have developed a Maritime Policy creating a policy framework for the rational and sustainable exploitation of the marine resource in all of its dimensions for the social, environmental, scientific and economic health and prosperity of the Bahamian people.
We in The Bahamas are indeed a maritime people and as a consequence have an innate understanding of this industry.
We also have a heightened understanding of the technical, commercial, safety and security issues that relate to world shipping.
The Bahamas has one of the largest ship registries in the world which has prided itself on the highest standards of quality and regulatory compliance: the Bahamas Flag oversees a diverse ship portfolio from the largest passenger ships featuring such innovation and cutting edge designs and concepts that they challenge current regulatory frameworks, to the largest bulk carriers and tankers and reefers to the most technologically advanced ships which extract mineral resources from the seabed.
The dynamics created by such a diverse portfolio has led to The Bahamas having an enhanced knowledge and understanding of the varying maritime industries and the peculiar challenges faced and in particular during these challenging economic times.
It is these two important strengths: on the one hand a natural affinity for the sea and a respect for the seas of the planet and their ecological importance to our mutual survival and secondly a solid insight and understanding of the importance of commercial shipping activities to the economic vitality of world communities which activates our involvement in this Critical Body.
The Bahamas has sought to bring a progressive and balanced approach in our advocacy at the IMO.
We understand the mandate as responsible world citizens of sustaining our oceans and seas to the sustenance of life itself for all of us on Planet Earth.
We also understand the practicalities of facilitating world trade as a means of improving the quality of life of populations across the globe and thus the need for a safe and efficient regime which ensures a sterling reputation to the shipping industry globally. It is this important balance which we believe is the hallmark of the goals and objectives of the IMO.
Mr President, distinguished delegates, for Small Island Developing States such as ours and for Less Developed Countries, capacity building is both a necessity and a challenge. In support of this vital need, The Bahamas in support of fellow member states, has made a modest contribution to both the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) and the World Maritime University (WMU).
These Institutions were founded to enhance the goals and objectives of the IMO and its member states, through education, research and capacity building to ensure safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans.
I note with appreciation, the outreach of these Institutions to developing countries; and take this opportunity to thank the two host countries: Malta and Sweden for their invaluable contribution and the governmental and non-Government organizations, especially the Nippon Foundation for their ongoing support.
I also take this opportunity to recognize and commend the contribution of the outgoing Secretary General and I now welcome on behalf of the people of The Bahamas our new Secretary General and pledge to him the full support of The Bahamas as he takes the helm of this great organization.
Our record at the IMO will reflect that we have been active and substantive in our involvement in all committees and sub committees: we have submitted a number of sound proposals including to the working group “Rules and Guidelines for Organizations in Consultative Status”, to the “Development of a new strategic framework”, to the “revision of the “Guidelines on the application of the strategic plan” and in the “ad hoc steering group on the reduction of administrative burdens”.
Throughout our involvement we have worked closely and collaboratively with other member Delegations: we have diligently sought to find common ground in the creation of a viable framework for shipping activities while ensuring the highest practicable standards for the protection of the environment and the procurement of safety and security for all involved.
We are committed to the goals of the IMO and to ensuring it remains a strong and relevant organization.
We pledge our continued commitment, knowledge, energy and involvement to advance our collective goals.
I thank you for this esteemed opportunity.
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
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