Maritime Bodies Sign MOC

A Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC), involving 12 entities with roles in the application and compliance with International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) mandatory instruments, was signed Tuesday September 6 at the Ministry of Transport and Works.

The MOC will provide for co-operation in vessel safety and security; security in port facilities and port areas; protection of the maritime environment from vessel pollution; training and capacity building; and the general exchange of ideas for maritime development, as they relate to the implementation of the Shipping Centre report.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Works, Dr. Alwin Hales, noted that signing the MOC demonstrated to the IMO, and the maritime community, that Jamaica has the institutional arrangements in place and capabilities to discharge its maritime obligations.

“It also provides the documentary evidence which formalises the linkage for cooperation among Government of Jamaica entities, relating to maritime safety and the prevention of vessel-source pollution within Jamaica’s very large maritime space; a fitting example of ‘joined up government’,” Dr. Hales said.

He added that all the signatories play an important role, in ensuring that ships calling at the nation’s ports can do so safely.

Director of Legal Affairs at the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, Bertrand Smith, explained that the MOC is a non binding agreement, which describes the roles and functions of organisations, as they pertain to the implementation of the country’s obligation under the IMO mandatory instruments.

He said that the memorandum also serves as a national strategy as it is, essentially, implementing the Vision 2030 Jamaica programme, in so far as it relates to maritime transport and the national transport policy, and as it pertains to maritime transport.

“In that regard, it provides for an inter agency committee, which would be responsible for monitoring the memorandum. Every two years each agency will provide a self assessment form, which will be reviewed and a report prepared for eventual submission to Parliament,” Mr. Smith said.

Some of the agencies participating in the MOC include: the Caribbean Maritime Institute; Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard; Marine Police Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force; Maritime Authority of Jamaica; Meteorological Office of Jamaica; National Environment and Planning Agency; Port Authority of Jamaica; Ministry of Health; Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management; and the Spectrum Management Authority.