IMO Regional Workshop on the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention and Regional Expert Meeting on the harmonisation of procedures in the Mediterranean pursuant to the BWM Convention

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Regional Workshop on the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWM Convention) and the Regional Expert Meeting on the harmonisation of procedures in the Mediterranean pursuant to the BWM Convention, will be held in Kappara, Malta, from 20 to 23 March 2023.

The Workshop/Meeting financed by the IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) and the Mediterranean Trust Fund (MTF), will be organised by REMPEC, in close cooperation with the IMO, pursuant to the Programme of Work and Budget for 2022-2023 of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), adopted by the Twenty-second Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols (COP 22) (Antalya, Türkiye, 7-10 December 2021).

Context & objectives: 

COP 22 adopted Decision IG.25/17 related to the Ballast Water Management Strategy for the Mediterranean Sea (2022-2027), the overall objective of which is, amongst others, to establish a framework for a regional harmonised approach in the Mediterranean on ships’ ballast water control and management that is consistent with the requirements and standards of the BWM Convention, as outlined in its Article 13(3).

In this context, the principal objectives of the Workshop/Meeting are: 

① to raise awareness of the BWM Convention and related Guidelines;

② to strengthen regional capacity for effective implementation and enforcement; and; 

③ to assist countries in the region, where applicable, to ratify the BWM Convention ; and

④ to discuss revised draft regional harmonised procedures for the uniform implementation of the BWM Convention in the Mediterranean.

Target audience : 

The target audience for the Workshop/Meeting are the Government officials responsible for ratification, implementation and enforcement of the BWM Convention. Some participants will represent authorities/organisations responsible for the regulation of shipping, and other participants will represent authorities/organisations in charge of issues related to the marine environment.

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IMO Regional Workshop on the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention:

• The final programme of the Workshop can be accessed here : English / Français

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Regional Expert Meeting on the harmonisation of procedures in the Mediterranean pursuant to the BWM Convention

• The meeting documents for the Meeting can be accessed below:

- WORKING DOCUMENTS - DOCUMENTS DE TRAVAIL 

- INFORMATION DOCUMENTS - DOCUMENTS D’INFORMATION

Photos of the Event on Flickr : https://www.flickr.com/photos/196612862@N03/?