Iran condemns actions that threatens maritime safety and security

PMO News Portal: PMO’s Managing Director speech at the 32nd session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly:

Respectable Chair, Honorable Secretary-General, Distinguished Delegates

I take this short opportunity to highlight two important issues: there is no doubt that international shipping plays a vital role in meeting the demands of the human community around the globe, and the IMO has been established on the basis and principle of cooperation among Member States, in order to maintain and promote maritime safety and security, protect the marine environment, and promote efficiency of shipping. Hence, maritime conventions can only be fully effective through collective participation and cooperation of Parties and Member States, whether in negotiation, preparation, approval, implementation, or enforcement.

The sad truth, however, is that despite the favorable activity of Islamic republic of Iran in technical and special maritime fields addressed by IMO, and effective implementation of maritime conventions as a responsible nation, we still suffer from the continued exertion of unfair and limiting actions from one Member State (the United States of America) against the Iranian maritime transport industry. The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns such measures threatening maritime safety and security, which brazenly violate the spirit governing maritime treaties, principles of international law, and Articles 1 and 2 of the IMO Convention. While reminding the Member States of the negative impacts and consequences of such actions, we demand the United States to be accountable to the international maritime community, and cease such measures immediately.

The second issue I need to highlight is the spread of COVID-19 around the world, and its impact on maritime transport. While the pandemic adversely affected all aspects of human life in the past two years, the valuable and selfless efforts of seafarers prevented the global trades from stopping at all. The IMO Council thus rightly and wisely selected the theme for 2021 as "Seafarers: at the core of shipping's future" in this respect.

In this regard, the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) acted responsibly, emphasized seafarers’ rights and exerted effective supervision over it by communicating documents and circulars issued by IMO, ILO and WHO, health protocols and working procedures under critical conditions to shipping companies and port authorities. In the latest action for this purpose, vaccination of all seafarers was conducted with highest priority, and was completed in two doses by August 2021.

Respectable Chair, Honorable Secretary-General, Ladies & Gentlemen

Allow me to conclude by emphasizing, that the world can enjoy peace, stability, security, and sustainable development only if treacherous and unilateral sanctions in violation of the UN Charter and IMO Convention do not exist; if there are no threats against maritime industries, nor terrorist attacks, similar to those happening in the past two years against ships under Iranian flag or ownership in the Red Sea or Mediterranean Sea; and if Parties to maritime conventions fulfil their obligations properly and sufficiently; and if piracy and armed attacks to ships are eliminated. In this path, we see no limitations for participating in IMO’s technical and special maritime efforts on the one hand, and expanding bilateral and multi-lateral ties with IMO Member States, especially maritime neighbors of Iran, on the other.