GLOBALLAST TRAINING COURSE is an event of the international level was held in Odessa

GLOBALLAST TRAINING COURSE  is an event of the international level. The Training Course on Legal Implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention was organized by IMO in Odessa on 19-21 June 2010.

 

The representatives of the ports authorities from six countries participated in the Regional Workshop on Black Sea Regional Strategy for Ballast Water Management: Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia.

 

International Law Offices was represented by Irina Nychyporchuk being the guest of the course. International Law Offices is a member of the committee on BWM and GloBallast Programme trainings in Ukraine for 2011. All trainings will be organized by IMO, financed by EBRD and the technical support is to be performed by the Dutch company Royal Haskoning and International Law Offices.

 

IMO joined forces with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), member governments and the shipping industry to assist less-industrialised countries to tackle the ballast water problem. To develop the GloBallast Programme they chose six main developing regions of the world:

 

Dallan (China), Khark Is (Iran), Mumbai (India), Odessa (Ukraine), Saldanha (South Africa), Sepetiba (Brazil)

 

The main objective of all said centres is to develop and implement within the national and regional levels various issues related to harmful aquatic organisms in ship’s ballast water. The detailed work on the project is presented in the national plans prepared by the agencies approved by IMO, GEF and UNDP. Such Regional Plan has been drawn up for the Black Sea Region.

 

The main aim of the course in Odessa Center is to provide a framework for the activities that need to be developed and implemented within the Black Sea Region in order to minimize the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms in ships’ ballast water, in accordance with the IMO recommendations and GloBallast Programme.

 

The course is aimed to facilitate the preparatory process within the Black Sea Region for the introduction of new international regulations and practices on ballast water management and control.

 

Each of the member countries presented the data on ballast water management and control and delivered the updated plans on avoidance of further pollution under the available researches.

 

As the result, the resolution is to be issued summarizing the activity and finishing the Nations Action Plans to proceed within the Regional Action Plans.

 

International Law Offices has highly appreciated the work by IMO, in particular, the Istanbul Commission on Water Ballast Control as that course will give a possibility to proceed in adoption of the International Convention by the countries of the Black Sea Region.

23 July 2010

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