IMO Cautions Members against Red Tape

zoom The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted  a resolution on better regulation at its assembly meeting in London as it targets reduction of administrative difficulties. The regulation sets the overall frame for how to formulate regulation and establishes that all member states must carefully consider the consequences of new regulations to seafarers, administrations and shipowners before setting pen to paper. The resolution stresses a number of principles for better regulation, such as necessity, consistency, proportionality, resilience and clarity. In addition, the Assembly adopted a handful of resolutions of a rather technical nature, inter alia on fishing vessel safety and AIS navigation. Items on the agenda included the IMO work programme and budget for the 2016-17 biennium as well as the Organizations work on safety and the environment since the recent Assembly meeting. The IMO assembly has also elected 40 members states for its council for the 2016-2017 biennium and approved the appointment of Kitack Lim from the Republic of Korea as its new Secretary-General, with effect from 1 January 2016, for an initial term of four years.