Partners in building a maritime nation

Abstract

South Africa is a member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The purposes of the Organization, as summarized by Article 1(a) of the IMO Convention, are "to provide machinery for cooperation among Governments in the field of governmental regulation and practices relating to technical matters of all kinds affecting shipping engaged in international trade; to encourage and facilitate the general adoption of the highest practicable standards in matters concerning maritime safety, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of marine pollution from ships". It is a specialized agency of the United Nations aimed at promoting safe, secure, environmentally sound, efficient and sustainable shipping through cooperation. It follows that in order to deliver on sustainable development goals, IMO encourages countries to play an active and meaningful role in driving and developing maritime activities globally and domestically. Building strong partnerships and collaborations with industry players is therefore key for unlocking South Africa’s maritime economy. SAMSA, led by the Department of Transport (DoT) participates on global, continental and regional maritime transport platforms aimed at developing and regulating maritime transportation. It partners and collaborates with international organisations, maritime nations, research and academic institutions and other professional bodies in and outside the country in order to deliver on its mandate. This presentation gives an insight into partnerships and collaborations based on South Africa’s future and current maritime projects. Guided by the Comprehensive maritime Transport Policy, the National Development Plan 2030, SAMSA Strategy and African Integrated Maritime Strategy, it is undisputable that the work on development of the industry requires collaborations and partnership. As a result, this presentation highlights key maritime areas of partnership and collaborations as it calls for alignment and convergence between the private and public sector. This presentation also covers the country’s future collaborations & partnership plans and their importance in advancing the maritime agenda. Such partnerships range from on the areas of Technical Cooperation which include maritime innovation, research and development, training and capacity building. The presentation also calls of action for collaboration in the above including investments at domestic and international level aimed at building the oceans economy.