National Maritime Transport Policy Workshop Delivered in Suriname

‍

From 15-17 November, the World Maritime University (WMU) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) partnered on delivering an Introduction to the National Maritime Transport Policy (NMTP) workshop in Suriname. The NMTP concept is being promoted by the IMO as a good governance practice to guide planning, decision-making and legislation in the maritime sector and as a key driver for a country's sustainable development.

The workshop brought together some thirty participants from public and private sector entities. The importance of a sound policy and related strategy for its implementation was highlighted as a means to support and strengthen the sustainable governance and development of the maritime sector. The workshop also highlighted the importance of an NMTP to spearhead the country's accession to international maritime treaties and their implementation in national legislation. 

Suriname is initiating the process of developing and adopting an NMTP and related strategies in collaboration with relevant public and private sector entities and stakeholders under the coordination of a Task Force established under the auspices of the Suriname National Maritime Association (SNMA). 

WMU was represented by Professor George Theocharidis and Professor Henning Jessen. IMO was represented by Mr Jonathan Pace, Chief of the Subdivision for Programme Management and Coordination Technical Cooperation Division. The workshop was delivered by IMO and WMU, within the framework of the IMO Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) and with generous funding from the Government of Malaysia.

IMO and WMU have cooperated on the delivery of NMTP Training Packages to several countries since 2016, including Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, Fiji, Georgia, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Seychelles, St Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, St Lucia, Thailand and Timor-Leste. WMU’s delivery of the programme reflects its capacity-building mission and a commitment to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, in particular, Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development and Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. 

Find out more about the National Maritime Transport Policy concept, what it is and how it works, by watching IMO’s NMTP video, here.

‍