IMO Director of Legal Affairs Lectures on Maritime Governance

On 7 October, World Maritime University (WMU) students in the Malmö Class of 2023 had the opportunity to interact with Mr Frederick Kenney, Director of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Legal Affairs and External Relations Division, who delivered a guest lecture as part of the Foundation Studies course on “The IMO System of Maritime Governance”. Complementing the core instruction by resident faculty, Mr Kenney’s lecture focused on Maritime Governance at the IMO, including the history, function and structure, as well the process and procedure of law making at the organization.

At IMO, Mr Kenney is responsible for advising the IMO Secretary-General on all legal issues associated with the functioning of IMO, with special emphasis on matters of treaty law and the law of the sea; provides legal counsel to staff supporting IMO’s committees and subcommittees and has particular responsibility as Secretary for the Organization’s Legal Committee. He oversees IMO’s role as depositary for the 53 multilateral Conventions adopted under its aegis. Before joining IMO, Mr Kenney served in high-ranking positions in the United States Coast Guard.

The IMO System of Maritime Governance course provides an introduction to the IMO, including the development of standards and regulations leading to national implementation of IMO instruments, the transfer of knowledge and technology to developing maritime countries, and the theory of maritime policy and its implications on the maritime safety and security, environmental protection and ship efficiency.

The Malmö MSc in Maritime Affairs is a 14-month programme with seven specializations: Maritime Education & Training; Maritime Energy Management; Maritime Law & Policy; Maritime Safety & Environmental Administration; Ocean Sustainability, Governance and Management; Port Management, and Shipping Management & Logistics. Foundation studies are taught in the first term and cover the introductory knowledge that is fundamental to all activities in the maritime field. Three successive terms focus on specialization studies and a dissertation. WMU has more than 150 Visiting Lecturers from around the world who contribute their expertise to enrich the education of WMU students.

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