Somalia’s Department of Maritime Administration is planned to become fully operational by the end of the year, enabling the country to discharge its flag, port and coastal responsibilities effectively in line with International Maritime Organization (IMO) instruments.
Somalian Government officials met at an IMO-sponsored workshop, held in Kigali, Rwanda (27-31 August) and agreed that the newly-established department, part of the Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport, should be restructured by 31 December 2018.
The next steps, agreed by the officials, include a needs assessment mission and further workshops carried out by IMO; the enactment of the Somalia Shipping Code; and taking the necessary steps to accede to all key IMO treaties referred to in the Somalia Shipping Code.
A communique issued after the workshop also called on the Federal Government of Somalia to take urgent steps to become a signatory to the Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control.
The workshop was facilitated by IMO, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda. It was attended by 22 senior Government officials, including Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Senators and Parliamentarians from the Government and Federal Member States, led by, Hon. Mariam Aweis Jama, Minister of Ports and Marine Transport. IMO was represented by William Azuh, Kiruja Micheni and Purity Thirimu.