Download IMO MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COMMITTEE 54th

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION
E
IMO
MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION
COMMITTEE
54th session
Agenda item 16
MEPC 54/16/1
6 January 2006
Original: ENGLISH
TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION PROGRAMME
Technical Co-operation Sub-programme for the protection of the marine environment
Update on the major projects and other related activities
Note by the Secretariat
SUMMARY
Executive summary:
This document provides an update on the technical co-operation
activities related to the protection of the marine environment carried
out mainly under major projects financed through outside sources
during the biennium 2004-2005
Action to be taken:
Paragraph 3
Related documents:
MEPC 54/16 and MEPC 54/16/2
Introduction
1
At MEPC 53, the Committee considered the documents MEPC 53/18, MEPC 53/18/1 and
MEPC 53/INF.14, which provided respectively an update on the major Projects and other related
activities including a status report on the activities under the EC/MEDA Financed Project on Port
Reception Facilities for Collecting Ship-Generated Garbage, Bilge Waters and Oily Wastes in the
Mediterranean covering the period.
2
An update report on the Marine Electronic Highway (MEH) Project, PEMSEA, the
Globallast Programme and other activities under the IMO Technical Co-operation Programme
for the biennium 2004-2005 is annexed hereto whilst a full status report on the other
ITCP activities mainly financed through the TC Fund is contained in documents MEPC 54/16
and MEPC 54/16/2.
Action requested of the Committee
3
The Committee is invited to note the information provided and to comment as it deems
appropriate.
***
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For reasons of economy, this document is printed in a limited number. Delegates are
kindly asked to bring their copies to meetings and not to request additional copies.
MEPC 54/16/1
ANNEX
STATUS REPORT ON THE TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED
OUT MAINLY UNDER THE MAJOR PROJECTS
1
The Secretariat has continued to implement projects that are financed through outside
sources. IMO, as executing agency, is currently implementing the following four GEF-funded
projects:
.1
Building Partnerships for Environmental Protection and Management of the
Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)
1.1
The project aims to protect the life support systems and enable the sustainable use
and management of coastal and marine resources through intergovernmental, interagency
and intersectoral partnerships, for improved quality of life in the East Asian Seas region.
The participating Countries are: Cambodia, China, Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei
Darussalam, Japan and Singapore.
1.2
This five-year GEF/UNDP/IMO project on building partnership for environmental
protection and management of the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) commenced on
October 1999 and is expected to finish by December 2006. Following the adoption of the
Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) by the Putrajaya
Declaration in December 2003, a GEF/UNDP PDF Block B Grant project to implement
the SDS-SEA was prepared by the Regional Programme Office, which will lead to a
comprehensive project document for the implementation of the SDS-SEA (i.e., Phase 3 of
PEMSEA), which will be completed by 2006. It is envisaged that the comprehensive
SDS-SEA project could be implemented by 2007. Another project, the GEF/World Bank
PDF Block B Strategic Partnership for a Land-Based Pollution Reduction Investment
Fund for Large Marine Ecosystems of East Asia – Phase I (Revolving Fund), a new
initiative, is due to be implemented by early 2006 for a period of 12 months.
1.3
Apart from the expected implementation of the aforementioned two PDF Block B
Grant projects, the outcome of the current PEMSEA project will include a regional
mechanism and a regional facility. The regional mechanism and the facility are partly
addressed in the draft Partnership Agreement and the Draft Operating Arrangements and
was considered by the Programme Steering Committee at its 11th session
(July-August 2005) with the view to their adoption by a ministerial forum in
December 2006. The regional mechanism has the following components:
.1
East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council – this will provide the policy
and operation guidance and will evolve from the present Programme
Steering Committee;
.2
EAS Congress – a regular regional forum to be held once every 3 years;
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.2
.3
Regional Partnership Fund – financing arrangements for the sustained
implementation of the SDS-SEA; and
.4
PEMSEA Resource Facility – the secretariat, which will be the entity to
replace the Regional Programme Office.
Project on Removal of Barriers to the Effective Implementation of Ballast
Water Control and Management Measures in Developing Countries
The GEF/UNDP/IMO project on Removal of Barriers to the Effective
Implementation of Ballast Water Control and Management Measures in Developing
Countries (GloBallast Project) – GLO/99/G31/A/1G/19 was completed on
31 December 2004. The programme provided technical assistance and undertook
activities for capacity building and institutional strengthening in six initial demonstration
sites representing six main developing regions of the world. Regional Task Forces and
Regional Action Plans were also developed and adopted by the respective regional
countries. Due to the interest shown by developing countries to join the programme and
to sustain the momentum and concerted international actions initiated under GloBallast
programme, the Secretariat submitted a concept paper for a second phase of GloBallast
project entitled “GloBallast Partnerships” to GEF through UNDP. The concept was
accepted for pipeline entry by GEF in July 2004 and subsequently GEF approved a
PDF-Block-B grant (around US$700K) in March 2005 to undertake the preparatory phase
activities and to produce a full project document for the second phase. The PDF-B project
commenced on 1 April and is being implemented by the Secretariat. A Global Inception
Meeting was held in London in July 2005 to decide on the priority regions and activities
under the full project. Subsequently, regional consultation meetings were held in the high
priority regions to get regional inputs into the Project design. A more detailed status
report is contained in document MEPC 53/18/1.
.3
Project on the assessment of the extent of aquatic species transfer through
ships’ ballast water and sediments into and out of the Caspian Sea
3.1
In 2004, the Caspian Environment Programme (CEP) approached the Secretariat
seeking technical co-operation in addressing the issue of marine bioinvasion in the
Caspian region and to sign a letter of agreement to co-operate on matters pertaining to
this issue. CEP, which is implemented by the United Nations Office of Project Services
(UNOPS) has an overall goal for sustainable development of the Caspian environment.
A major objective under this goal is to commence implementation of an Action Plan to
address the issues related to aquatic invasive species in the Caspian Ecosystem as several
invasive species have been introduced into the Caspian in the ballast water of ships
sailing to and from the Caspian Sea. The Secretariat concluded an Inter Agency
Agreement with UNOPS, the general objective of which include provision of technical
assistance to undertake an assessment of extent of aquatic species transfer through ships’
ballast water and sediments into and out of Caspian Sea and to undertake a pre-feasibility
study into ways and means of controlling these transfers, leading to the development of a
regional proposal detailing a roadmap for implementation of the recommendations from
the study. This Project commenced in September 2005. A regional inception meeting was
held in Baku, Azerbaijan which was attended by representatives from the five
Caspian States. During this meeting a Regional Task Force was formed to advise the
project and to facilitate the project implementation. As part of the Inter Agency
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Agreement, in November 2005, IMO Secretariat also organized a regional training
programme on sampling and monitoring of ships’ ballast water to build capacity within
the region for assessing the transfer of invasive species into and out of Caspian
Ecosystem, through ships’ ballast water. It is expected that the remaining activities
namely the pre-feasibility study for establishing a reception facility for ballast water and
development of a long-term roadmap for Caspian Region to address the issue of ballast
water will be undertaken in the first half of 2006.
.4
Project on the Development of a Regional Marine Electronic Highway in the
East Asian Seas with a First Phase in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore
4.1
The GEF/World Bank/IMO PDF Block B Grant project on the development of a
regional Marine Electronic Highway (MEH) in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore
commenced in March 2001 and will be completed in December 2005. The major output
of the PDF Block B grant is a 4-year GEF/World Bank/IMO Development of a Regional
Marine Electronic Highway Project in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore Demonstration Phase in Partnership with IHO, INTERTANKO and ICS
(MEH Demonstration Project) proposal, which was endorsed by the GEF Council in
25 July 2003. The project proposal will be considered by the World Bank Board of
Directors towards approval for implementation in 2006. A Memorandum of
Understanding to implement the MEH Demonstration Project and a Memorandum on
Arrangements involving partnerships with IHO, INTERTANKO and ICS were signed in
Jakarta, Indonesia on 8 September 2005 by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, IHO,
INTERTANKO and ICS.. These two agreements along with other project documents
(project appraisal document, project implementation plan, procurement plan and bid
documents) will constitute a negotiation package for the project proposal, which will be
submitted to the World Bank Board by early 2006.
.5
EC/MEDA financed project on EUROMED Co-operation on Maritime
Safety and Prevention of Pollution from Ships (SAFEMED)
5.1
The Secretariat, through a IMO/UNEP project, is managing the Regional Centre
for the Mediterranean region, REMPEC since 1976. In addition, the Secretariat
contributed to the development of the four million Euro SAFEMED project financed by
the EC, to be implemented by REMPEC during the period 2005-2008 in ten
Mediterranean Partners; namely, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the
Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey under the overall co-ordination of the
EC and with technical backstopping from IMO. The primary objective of the project is to
mitigate the existing imbalance in the application of maritime legislation in the region
between the EU members and the Mediterranean Partners that are not members of the
EU, through promoting a coherent, effective and uniform implementation of the relevant
international conventions aimed at better protection of the marine environment in the
Mediterranean region by preventing pollution from ships. The general objectives of the
project are:
-
to procure a sustainable improvement in the protection of Mediterranean waters
against the risks of accidents at sea and marine pollution; and
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-
to further reduce the capacity gap between the application of international
regulatory framework and the EU legislative framework, in order to ensure a
coherent, effective and uniform implementation of the international rules for
maritime safety and security and the prevention of pollution from ships in both the
Mediterranean area and the European Union.
5.2
The project activities aim to enhance the European Union co-operation and
transfer of knowledge and experiences with the non-EU countries in the
Mediterranean Sea. The common interest to promote a coherent, effective and uniform
implementation of the relevant international IMO conventions and related EU legislation
should enhance maritime safety and the protection of marine environment in the
Mediterranean region. Through the project, the Mediterranean partners’ maritime
administrations will be encouraged to promulgate national legislation in accordance with
relevant international (IMO) conventions and related EU legislation.
5.3
The planned activities of the project will cover all aspects of the intended transfer
of knowledge in progressive action: from evaluation of the initial situation and
identification of needs, continuing with elaboration of studies and provision of direct
technical advice, assistance in the countries where necessary, and complementing the
works with training programmes and recommendations or guidelines.
5.4
The role of IMO in the development and implementation of maritime transport
related conventions and the important role and activities of the IMO Regional Marine
Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), which
operates within the framework of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) of the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Seas Programme, are the
ground for the EC decision to consider the involvement of these bodies in the project.
Projects under development and which include activities to be implemented by IMO
2
The Secretariat was approached by the United Nations Industrial Development
Programme (UNIDO) and the World Bank for the implementation of part of two projects, for
which they are responsible. Under Letters of Agreement, it is envisaged that IMO should be
implementing those activities under the two projects falling within its field of competence. The
two projects are as follows:
-
the GEF-UNDP-funded and UNIDO implemented Guinea Current Large Marine
Ecosystem (GCLME) Project, which aims at addressing the large marine ecosystem
operational strategies (productivity, fisheries and other living resources, pollution and
ecosystem health, socio-economics and governance) and includes a component covering
matters pertaining to aspects of pollution due to shipping and maritime activities.
Implementation of activities under this LOA has already commenced and will continue
in 2006; and
-
the GEF-World Bank-funded “Marine Highway Development and Coastal and Marine
Contamination Prevention Project” for the Western Indian Ocean countries aiming at
reducing the risk of ship-based source of pollution and at strengthening the project
countries’ capacity to respond to oil or chemical spill emergencies in the region.
Negotiations between the bank and the recipient countries are still ongoing and project
implementation is not foreseen before middle of 2006.
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3
Within the framework of the IMO/Industry Global Initiative and in response to the
invitation made by IMO to promote partnerships with the private sector, the International
Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) expressed interest in
joining forces with IMO for the development of a two-year programme for the West and Central
Africa region, to complement the activities being undertaken by IMO under the ITCP and within
the framework of the GEF/UNEP/UNIDO Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem (GCLME)
project. To this effect, IPIECA submitted to IMO a proposal for 2005-2006 (IMO/IPIECA West
and Central Africa (WACAF) Regional Initiative), which has been considered by IMO for
co-financing, taking into account the relevant appropriation from the TC Fund through Global
programme 5 of the Biennial Allocation to support the ITCP for 2004-2005. US$150,000 has
been allocated as IMO’s initial contribution to the programme.
4
In pursuance of the Organization’s policy in developing synergies and partnerships to
avoid duplication of efforts and the subsequent waste of scarce resources, IMO and UNIDO
agreed that the latter would fund the participation in the regional activities of the WACAF
Initiative of the relevant officials from the GCLME project countries through a special budget
line in the project. In this respect, provisions would be made for participants from the Gambia,
Mauritania and Senegal, which are not covered by the GCLME project.
5
The implementation of the IMO/IPIECA West and Central Africa Regional Initiative
started with the organizing of a five-day OPRC Level 3 Course for Ghana, followed by a national
workshop on contingency planning with a table-top exercise, during the period from 12 to
16 December 2005.
__________
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