The Bahamas delegation at the 27th Regular Session of the Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation in London, November 21, 2011. Pictured from left to right are His Excellency Paul Farquharson, High Commissioner and Permanent Representative to the IMO; Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the IMO; Ian Fair, Chairman, Bahamas Maritime Authority; Peter Goulandris, Vice-Chairman, Bahamas Maritime Authority; Commodore Davy Rolle, Director & CEO, Bahamas Maritime Authority; and Captain Doug Bell, Deputy Director, Bahamas Maritime Authority.
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NASSAU, The Bahamas -
The Bahamas was successful in its bid for election to the Council of
the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) under Category “C”,
at the 27th Session of the IMO Assembly in London from November
21 to 30, 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.
Category C is open to those
20 states which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation
and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of
all major geographic areas of the world.
The Bahamas exemplifies the
highest credentials in each of these areas, according to the IMO.
His Excellency Paul Farquharson,
Bahamas High Commission and Permanent Representative to the IMO headed
a Bahamian delegation to the IMO Assembly. He was accompanied by Ian
Fair, Chairman of The Bahamas Maritime Authority; Peter Goulandris,
Vice Chairman, Bahamas Maritime Authority; and Commodore Davy Rolle,
Director & CEO, Bahamas Maritime Authority
The Bahamas has served on the
Council from 1991 to 1995 and from 1999 to the present, and has actively
participated in the work of the Council during these periods.
“The Commonwealth of The
Bahamas remains committed to the legal and normative framework governing
maritime transport and safety, and has thus acceded to all of the major
IMO Conventions as well as the United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea and relevant International Labour Organisation Conventions,”
the ministry said.
Ian Fair, Chairman of The Bahamas
Maritime Authority in his address to the 27th Session, highlighted
the fact that The Bahamas has a long and distinguished history as a
maritime nation. It became a member in 1976 and has acceded to the major
international Conventions administered by the IMO as well as the 1982
Law of the Sea Convention.
The Bahamas accommodates 56
million gross tons on its Ship Registry; cruise ships making up nine
percent. Mr Fair said. He also stated that The Bahamas is
justly proud of its Port State Control (PSC) record, with the country
being on the White List of every PSC Memorandum of Understanding.
“The Bahamas highly values
her membership in the IMO. The Bahamas will thus continue to work constructively
with all members of this organisation in pursuit of the goals of the
Assembly. Moreover, we will work with all to ensure they are fully addressed,”
Mr Fair said.