Indonesia Signs IMO’s BWM Convention

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) member state Indonesia is the latest country to sign the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, an international measure for environmental protection.

The convention is aimed at preventing the spread of harmful and invasive aquatic species in ships’ ballast water, and requires ships to have procedures in place for ballast water management.

Indonesia’s accession comes after capacity-building projects undertaken by IMO in collaboration with the Norwegian Development Cooperation Agency (Norad) and with the support of the Globallast project.

Additionally, IMO’s member states Antigua and Barbuda have agreed to accept a number of IMO treaties on November 24.

The treaties include:

– Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL);
– The 2005 Protocols to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf; and
– 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter.

Hon. Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, presented the instruments to IMO Secretary-General, Koji Sekimizu earlier this week.