Duterte creates inter-agency council ahead of 2021 maritime safety audit

PHOTO/Junjie Mendoza, CEBU DAILY NEWS

MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the creation of an inter-agency council in preparation for the maritime safety audit of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2021.

Duterte signed Executive Order No. 84 on Tuesday, a copy of which was released to the media Thursday.

The EO aims to ensure the Philippines’ compliance to its obligation as a member state of the IMO—the United Nations’ specialized agency for regulating shipping.

The Philippines will undergo an IMO member-state audit in 2021 and every seven years thereafter.

The audit scheme covers the safety of life at sea, prevention of pollution from ships, standards of training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers, load lines, tonnage measurement of ships and regulations of preventing collisions at sea.

The inter-agency council will be headed by the transportation secretary, along with the Maritime Industry Authority administrator as vice chairperson.

Members meanwhile will come from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Ports Authority, and Cebu Port Authority.

A technical working group will also be formed to provide technical support on specific subjects of the audit scheme, according to the President’s order.

The mandatory audit of all member-states of the IMO began only in 2016.