The programme of Russian candidate for IMO top job gets thumbs-up from an industry professional
The programme of Russian candidate Vitaly Klyuev, one of six candidates vying for the IMO Secretary-General post, meets the key objectives of the IMO activities, a shipping industry professional said.
In his analytical article contributed to IAA PortNews Captain Anastas Boran-Keshishyan said that "the program offered by Vitaly Klyuev, the candidate from Russia for the position of the IMO Secretary General, is to the greatest degree focused on the main objectives and favorably differs from the programs by the other respected candidates..."
"In my opinion, IMO should be headed not by a worker of the Secretariat who sees problems of the industry from the point of view of the headquarters, but a person who possesses sufficient experience in performing IMO decisions at the level of the member-states, who is fully knowledgeable about the drawbacks of such decisions, difficulty in their realization, who has sufficient experience in working out state policy aimed not only at observing international agreements, but also at creating concrete mechanisms of new requirements fulfillment," Mr. Boran-Keshishyan said.
"It is obvious that decisions and approaches which will be realized by the official at this level will lead to clearer and easily fulfilled procedures, requirements and standards aimed at improving safety most importantly, and, economic efficiency of the shipping industry. It is evident that all candidates have mentioned the use of high technologies, but only one of them has a scientific degree."
According to Vitaly Klyuev, in addition to the fulfillment of the main IMO functions (promotion of safe navigation, environmental protection and equality in access to water areas), the Organization is expected to face three global issues in the nearest future:
- In 2015 - to deliver audit of all 171 IMO Member States;
- Starting from 2017 – to provide due observance of Manila Amendments to the International Convention «STCW-78»;
- In 2017 – to provide adoption of "the Polar Code» - a universal code of regulations on the Arctic navigation.
- As far as the general principles of IMO activities are concerned, the following most effective objectives of its work that require concentrated efforts are proposed by the Russian candidate:
- The arrangement of more open system of work of the Organization, having more awareness, democratic character and collective nature in decision-making;
- Adjustment of the regulation system of ecological navigation standards;
- Gradual exclusion of certifying requirements excess;
- Introduction of assessment system for the regulatory effect both for the developing and existing regulations;
- Wider use of "risks assessment” and "risks management" methods in various activities;
- Initiation of the universal review of the existing regulations to provide more flexibility of the industry with the simultaneous support and improvement of safety at sea.
The elections of the new Secretary General will take place at 114-th session of IMO Council which is held between June 20 and July 3 2015. The IMO Assembly will approve the new Secretary General at its 29-th session, November 23 - December 2, 2015.
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