The IMO Council made the first steps towards a bigger transparency in shipping, with a decision to introduce live streaming for Assembly, Council and Committee meetings for Member States, IGOs and NGOs in consultative status, reports Safety4Sea.
Why this move?
This comes following years of several calls by Member States, global associations and NGOs, for a removal of restrictions on reporters covering IMO meetings.
Live streaming requested
This year, member states Australia, Norway and South Korea have openly called IMO to have live-streamed meetings and open reporting, so that the whole shipping industry is fully informed on the matters discussed during each session.
However, the Group agreed to limit such live streaming to the Assembly, Council and Committee meetings only, but not for the press or the public.
“The Council has now started the analysis of the necessary means to make possible the introduction of live streaming capabilities for the meetings of the Assembly, Council and Committees,” IMO announced.
Report from NGO Transparency International
Last year, the NGO Transparency International issued a report indicating a number of flaws in the IMO’s governance, including:
- a disproportionate influence of some Member States in the policy making process,
- a lack of delegate accountability, with the public often not being able to find out their national delegation’s position in debates and negotiations.
Generally, the Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. The Council is made up of 40 Member States, elected by the Assembly for two-year terms.
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Source: Safety4Sea
