Statement of the Minister of Transport, Ms. Dipuo Peters, MP delivered at the International Maritime Organisation Assembly 28 November 2013 Mr President Honourable Ministers Secretary-General Your Excellencies Distinguished delegates, Ladies and gentlemen Please allow me to use this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as the President of this 28th Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation. I also wish to commend the Secretary-General for his continued leadership of the organisation, ensuring that this machine is forever oiled to function properly. On behalf of the people and the President of the Republic of South Africa His ExceIlency Jacob Zuma, I wish to express our heartfelt condolences and pledge solidarity with the Government and people of the Philippines following the devastating typhoon that recently swept through their country. In South Africa October month is a dedicated transport month. 2013 has also been declared Maritime Year. The continent of Africa is in mood for a comprehensive maritime industry renaissance. The African Union adopted the Revised African Maritime Transport Charter in 2010. The coming into effect of the Charter will create conducive climate for the total transformation of the maritime sector thus enabling growth and development of Africa. The continuous discovery of mineral resources including oil and gas in various parts of the continent attests to our strategic importance going into the future. For this reason and many others, Africa needs true friends and partners all with a more transformed attitude than the experiences of the past. Our forefathers tirelessly waged wars of decolonisation, independence and self-determination of the people of Africa. The challenge we currently face is to turn this independence to economic stability and prosperity in order to secure a better future for generations to come. Mr President: South Africa has a long coastline of 3 500 kilometres. Our economy is served by eight major ports and our ports regulatory framework continues to ensure that our port system remains competitive and profitable. Combined with the strategic geographical position of South Africa’s coastline, our port system has a multiplier effect on the economy of the country and the Southern African Development Community region and by proximity, the whole continent. Mr. President South Africa a long and colourful maritime history. It dates back to the time when Swahili, Arab, Indian and Chinese merchants visited our eastern shores before the advent of west European adventures from the late 15th century. Today this route remains one of the busiest between east and west Africa and has left our country with many international responsibilities and obligations in terms of managing its navigable waters, both below and above the waterline. South Africa is also part of the West Indian Ocean region that contains 13 major commercial ports with six of them in South Africa. These serve as hubs for traffic emanating from and destined for Europe, Asia, the Americas and the east and west coast of Africa. In addition to the large cargo ships traveling internationally, many smaller boats serving local needs ply the coastal waters and harbors. They add to the considerable navigation risks faced by large ships. Regardless of its reputation for stormy waters, the sea route around the Cape is still the main waterway for oil transportation from the Middle East to Europe and North America. An estimated 12 000 vessels pass around the South African coastline annually, of which a large number are laden tankers carrying in excess of 30 million Dead-Weight-Tonnage of crude oil. These conditions, as proven by thousands of shipwrecks over centuries, present regular challenges to vessels which often result in distress calls to the Cape Town based Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC). During the past three years, the MRCC received more than 500 distress signals from vessels off the South African coastline, some as far south as Antarctica. Various laden, large crude-oil carriers have been assisted to safety, their cargoes safely transferred by means of ship to ship transfers and the affected vessels repaired to proceed with their journeys. High winds and high seas are common in the region, raising the risk of ships accidentally spilling oil, chemicals, noxious liquid wastes and other hazardous substances. Currently, slicks brought in from spills in the open ocean by coastal currents frequently spoil our beaches and damage coral reefs. Discharges of contaminated ballast water from refineries add to the load. It is estimated that over 30% of the world’s petroleum production of about 60 million barrels per day is transported through the waters of the West Indian Ocean region. This means that more than 500 million tons of sea trade in crude oil passes near or through the coastal waters of the coastal states and the island states of the West Indian Ocean, in transit to markets in North America, Europe and Asia. The heavy sea traffic in crude oil represents over 5 000 tanker voyages per year through the sensitive areas of the countries in the region. South Africa introduced the COSPAS/ SARSAT in May 2001, and the dedicated Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre now upgraded to Sub-regional status has been in operation since 2003. This has enabled South Africa to exercise its responsibilities to the international community through the employment of state-of-the-art Search and Rescue infrastructure and services. Furthermore we have a well-established Pollution prevention strategy and services that are ready to respond in cases of threats to the environment or providing assistance to vessels at risk. South Africa also acts in terms of the Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control and we have early 2013 confirmed our membership to the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central Africa. Through scheduled audit, we continue to ensure full compliance with the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS) to enhance maritime security. The challenge of stowaways is a matter receiving urgent attention and we are greatful for the support we are receiving from the IMO’s technical cooperation Division. South Africa is the only southern African country to straddle two oceans. At present no other southern African country is represented in the IMO Council. South Africa can therefore, with its strategic position at the tip of the continent and its well established technical capability and skills base, make a meaningful contribution to the activities of the IMO Council, especially as it pertains to the southern African sub-region. Mr. President, Distinguished delegates Please allow me to repeat our appreciation for the opportunity granted to South Africa by the IMO Council to host the Cape Town Diplomatic Conference to consider the implementation of the To-rre-mo-linos Protocol. The birth of the Cape Town Agreement would not have been possible without the full participation of all member states characterized by the spirit of cooperation and consensus. It was indeed a historic convention and His Excellency, President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma and the people of the Republic of South Africa remain proud to have hosted you. I have on behalf of the Republic of South Africa appended my signature to the Cape Town Agreement, and I would urge all other governments to redouble their efforts to sign and ratify the Agreement without delay. Mr President, working closely with the IMO Regional office in Nairobi, we have been able to make available expertise to support the programs of the Organisation more especially the delivery of seminars, lectures and workshops. We have as well in the current biennium initiated programmes to develop future maritime expertise to serve our industry into the future. In this regard, we have commissioned a project of a dedicated Training vessel to provide on-board education and training. The project is proving to be successful and almost all cadets going through the programme have been recruited by the industry on completion of their cadetship. We have also provided scholarships to thirty (30) students to pursue post graduates studies at the World Maritime University (WMU) during the 2013/14 Academic year. South Africa is concerned about the condition of women out at sea either as able seafarers and or as cadets on board merchant vessels and in this regard we call for the International Maritime Organization not only to promote the removal of all gender barriers for entry into the industry but also the creation of conducive climate for safe and secured participation of women seafarers in all aspects of shipping. In conclusion dear distinguished delegates, South Africa humbled by your kind consideration and support for re-election to the Council of the IMO- the Organization we have served with dedication and passion. Mr. President, Secretary-General, Ministers, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, with these remarks I humbly present South Africa as a candidate for re-election under category “C” of the Council. I thank you
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 11:17:57 +0000
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