Sri Lanks’s traffic separation scheme (TSS), sea area where the ships navigate, is to remain unchanged as approved over a majority of votes against the decision, said Minister of Foreign Affairs M .U. M. Ali Sabry PC, at Parliament yesterday (7).
“An inquiry was made in this regard (Sri Lanka’s TSS to be changed) by certain international organisations. However, we could get that out of the agenda at the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) with the votes from Egypt, Algeria, China, India, Pakistan except Canada.” He also pointed out that such a decision would, in fact, abandon the port activities at both Galle and Hambantota ports in terms of accessing regional markets.
The IMO has supported Sri Lanka in developing maritime security legislation in August 2018 by convening an inter-agency dialogue among policy makers, criminal justice officials, legal advisors and security officials of the port and maritime authorities and relevant ministries.
According to the IMO, “Sri Lanka is the third country to benefit from this series of workshops in South-East Asia, following similar events in the Maldives and Bangladesh in July 2018. Both IMO and UNODC are participating entities of the UN Counter Terrorism Implementation Task Force. The workshops are part of a project strengthening capacity to implement maritime counter terrorism instruments in South-East Asia.”
IMO was established in 1948 and is headquartered in the UK, and is the United Nations (UN) specialised agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. IMO currently has 175 Member States and three Associate Members. Sri Lanka obtained its membership in 1972.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry announced this September that Sri Lanka appointed its first permanent representative to IMO. The statement issued in this regard read, “Sri Lanka's accreditation to IMO comes at a time when the country is due to assume chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in October this year. Being in the centre of one of the most vital shipping lanes, Sri Lanka is positioned to be a major maritime hub in the Indian Ocean.”