MOWCA Secretary General begins strategic alliance talks with IMO

Dr Paul Adalikwu, Secretary-General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) has commenced strategic alliance talks with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London

This was a major fallout of his first formal visit to the Secretary General of the IMO, Kitack Lim after about a decade of MOWCA’s absence from the global maritime body’s activities.

The leadership of the two key maritime organizations in the international and regional arenas met to chart a new partnership for their mutual benefits.

The meeting which was at the instance of MOWCA’s new Secretary General, discussed ongoing plan for the Regional Maritime Development Bank and created an avenue to update the global maritime body about recent happenings in MOWCA since a new leadership assumed office

At Adalikwu’s request, the IMO scribe approved a meeting with all MOWCA Ministers of Transport and Maritime Affairs in September to formalize the new relationship and engagements.

While appreciating the repositioning of MOWCA under DrAdalikwu ,Kitack Lim assured of IMO’s maximum cooperation and support. He directed his team to engage further with MOWCA and work out details of the new engagement.

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He commended the initiative to have a maritime bank which he views as critical in supporting shipping business concerns in the region.

The MOWCA Secretary General proposed a revamping of an extant IMO/MOWCA Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a sub regional coast guard in West and Central Africa which dates back to July 2008 at the 13th session of MOWCA General Assembly in Dakar, Senegal.

He said the goal of the MoU was to initiate joint efforts to implement coast guard functions aimed at safeguarding human life, enforcing laws, improving safety and protection of the environment.

Also present at the discussion was the immediate past Chairman of MOWCA’s Council of Ministers, the Minister of Transport of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Hon CherubinOkende Senga; Special Advisor on Maritime Security to MOWCA SG, Mr Peter Adams; Director, Technical Cooperation, MrXiaojie Zhang; Head of External Relations Office, Mr Michael Guy and Head of Technical Unit for Africa Mr Emmanuel Azuh.