The International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced that 18 shipping companies have diverted ships to the South African route due to attacks in the Red Sea.
IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez spoke at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting and made statements regarding the attacks in the Red Sea.
“Attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea region are unacceptable,” Secretary General Dominguez said.
“The first target was Israeli-linked ships, but that is not the case now.”
Noting that ships should be allowed to trade worldwide without any obstacles and in accordance with international law, Domingez said, “Since the beginning of November, a series of attacks have been carried out against international ships sailing on this vital maritime route, which constitutes approximately 15% of international maritime trade. The first target was Israeli-related ships, but the information we have received in recent events shows that this is not the case at the moment. “The International Maritime Organization continues to monitor the situation closely and liaise with industry representatives and navies,” he said.
Stating that 18 shipping companies have diverted their ships to South Africa to reduce attacks on ships and their impact on sailors, Domingez said, “This means an additional 10 days are added to the journey and of course a negative impact on trade and an increase in freight rates.” .
IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez continued his words as follows:
“On Monday, December 18, an extraordinary meeting of members of the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC) was held to discuss how to deal with increasing threats to international shipping in the Red Sea Region. This meeting was attended by representatives from signatory states of the Djibouti Code of Conduct and the Jeddah Amendment, international and regional navies, regional centers and maritime industry stakeholders. “The meeting called for enhanced security measures, including coordination and ongoing meetings/reviews among signatory states, navies and industry, and the submission of recommendations to the International Maritime Organization and the United Nations Security Council.”
“The International Maritime Organization has an EU-funded regional program for maritime security in the Red Sea region, and we are using this as a major capacity building project targeting the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,” Domingez said:
“Through this initiative, IMO, INTERPOL, UNODC and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) undertake coordinated activities to build capacity and promote adequate safety and security standards for maritime, port and land law enforcement in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.” we continue.
On this occasion, I would like to reiterate the call for de-escalation to ensure the safety of our seafarers, freedom of navigation and stability of supply chains.
“Ships should send a preliminary report to the relevant centers in the region.”
The International Maritime Organization IMO will continue to monitor the situation in cooperation with our member states, industry partners and navies.
I would also like to express my appreciation for the work undertaken by the DCoC member states and encourage them to use it as a forum to facilitate communication between all countries in the region.
I would also like to encourage ships, as a practical matter and following navigational safety measures, to continue to send preliminary reports to the UK Maritime Operations Center and other relevant centers in the area when entering the Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA), as this covers the whole of the Red Sea and ships “It should send a preliminary report when crossing Suez or crossing borders in the Indian Ocean.”
The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of News2Sea.
#Red #Sea #statement #IMO