SPEECH OF MR K. SEKIMIZU, DIRECTOR, MSD OF IMO ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE OPENING OF THE SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MARITIME UNIVERSITIES (as delivered)

Dr. Laubstein, Mr. Nagamitsu of the Nippon Foundation, Mr. Fransson of the Swedish Maritime Administration and distinguished delegates.

It is indeed an honour for me to address this august gathering on behalf of the Secretary General, who is also the Chancellor of the World Maritime University, at the opening of the sixth General Assembly of the International Association of Maritime Universities.

Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates.

Since its establishment in 1999 by 7 Universities in 5 Continents, the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) has grown steadily and I am pleased to note today that, at present, 47 Universities are co-operating in various activities of the Association. This rapid expansion of the membership, and the number of delegations attending today's Assembly meeting, are clear indications of the success of the Association. I congratulate those who were involved in the creation of this Association and their strenuous efforts to bring the idea to fruition and those who enthusiastically supported the foundation and activities of the Association during these initial years. Certainly, the foresight of the founding members was right. I should not miss this opportunity to also appreciate the invaluable support provided by the Nippon Foundation and, in particular, its Chairman, Mr. Yohei Sasakawa.

Peace and security, development and human rights are the pillars of the United Nations system. Among them, development is a central goal by itself and sustainable development in economic, social and environmental aspects constitutes a key element of the overarching framework of the United Nations activities. In this context, it is not an overstatement to say that the continued success, and the future, of the shipping industry as the carrier of world trade in providing the most efficient, economical and environmentally friendly means of transportation depends on our efforts today and on our ability to nurture future generations of maritime professionals and experts for various segments of the maritime industry - not only seafarers, but also experts in maritime administrations, ship owning and ship management companies, financing sectors, shipbuilding and ship repair yards, classification societies, ports and logistics, and so on. In this context, IAMU's commendable effort in the advancement of Maritime Education and Training is well recognized and appreciated.

Its goals, including the establishment of a comprehensive global maritime education system and a standardized undergraduate curricula are surely the right ones and, I am sure, the activities of the Association will immensely benefit the maritime community.

In today's world, in addition to meeting high standards of safety, environmental protection and efficiency, the international maritime industry has to address demands for enhanced security. The theme for this year's IAMU Annual General Assembly - 'Maritime Security and Maritime Education and Training' is, therefore, most timely, as it provides participating maritime education and training (MET) institutions with the opportunity to explore together one of the major challenges facing the maritime industry today. IMO, for its part, has developed a comprehensive security regime for international shipping, which entered into force on 1 July 2004, and our challenge now is to ensure its wide and effective implementation as well as maintaining continued vigilance over security risks. For training institutions, the issue should be how to provide maritime experts with the skills and competence required to achieve the set goals and standards through appropriate education, training and research.

We are all aware that the shipping industry relies heavily on the professionalism of its people. We are conscious of the challenges posed by the international nature of this global pursuit. What could be more relevant, therefore, than representatives from MET institutions from all over the world coming together to discuss the best possible ways of preparing staff at sea, in shipping companies, ports and maritime administrations to meet these challenges? The World Maritime University - the hallmark of international co-operation - is definitely the best place to host this forum to stimulate interesting and fruitful discussions on maritime security and developing strategies to address them through maritime education and training.

The good work of IAMU has already been recognized and acknowledged by IMO. With the experience and the knowledge base of so many universities across all the continents of the world, IAMU is very well placed to assess the present training and education standards and set ever higher standards in the future. It is also hoped that IAMU's outreach will extend further with more and more maritime universities of the world joining this Association and sharing their experiences with others, helping improve training standards worldwide.

Under the able leadership of Dr. Karl Laubstein, I am sure that IAMU will recognize the challenges to be faced today and react to them.

Mr. Chairman,

Taking this opportunity of addressing your Assembly meeting today, I would like to mention two more specific issues related to the current and future challenges surrounding seafaring. They are:

- the expected shortage of seafarers in general; and

- a particular concern about the manning requirements for LNG carriers.

Anyone involved in shipping today must be concerned about the widely reported shortage of seafarers. According to a study carried out by ISF and BIMCO in 2000, there was a shortage of some 16,000 officers worldwide, a situation that was forecasted to become worse in the future. NUMAST, the officers' union in the United Kingdom, recently undertook a similar study among 12 other unions. Nine of the 12 unions reported officer shortages in their countries. Perhaps even more alarmingly, the survey revealed that the average age of members was 50 years. It is incumbent upon us all to try to do our utmost to tackle this problem before it reaches unmanageable proportions. While I agree that there is no simple, single answer, I am convinced that, through a rigorous and well-orchestrated campaign, we must boost the attractiveness of seafaring as a profession in what today has become a very competitive and international employment market.

Global demand for cleaner fuel has led to an unprecedented increase in the transportation of liquefied natural gas. Estimated demand for LNG is expected to rise from 120 million tonnes to 200 million tonnes by 2010 and to 315 million tonnes by 2020. The industry has responded to the expected growth in transportation demand with unprecedented orders for LNG tankers and port terminal construction.

The international LNG transport industry has enjoyed an enviable safety record, without a significant accident or cargo spillage after more than 40,000 voyages over four decades of operations. This record has been the result of paying close attention to the quality of ships' crews as well as ships and terminal facilities and their operation. The rapid expansion of the LNG sector, new security requirements, technological change, increased market competition, and potential labour supply constraints, all point to the importance of ensuring that vessels and shore-side facilities be staffed by qualified personnel with up-to-date training. In light of the fact that Government regulators as well as the industry have become increasingly concerned about the security of LNG vessels and terminal facilities this becomes more essential. In order to operate a growing worldwide LNG fleet which is expected to more than double in number by the end of this decade, the demand for adequately trained and experienced LNG crews must be met without delay.

I was informed that a round-table discussion was organized by the Association in co operation with SIGTTO in Pusan earlier this year, focusing on LNG Ship Officer Competency Standards and the challenges facing the LNG shipping sector, and as a result, it was concluded that there was an urgent need to develop such standards, training packages and assessment criteria to meet the future needs. The recent work of the Integrated Working Group of IAMU on LNG Ship's Officer Training is commendable and I am looking forward to hearing further information on their activities.

Ladies and gentleman,

If we are to uphold and improve standards and ensure continued vigilance in the maritime transport, nothing could be of greater importance than the training of maritime professionals and experts for the future. At this Assembly, you will cover a wide range of topics, from operations, management to engineering and sciences. Your discussions at this Assembly will be a source of inspiration and reference for maritime institutions all over the world and also for all who are involved in the maritime industry.

In conclusion, I would like to thank you for inviting me to address you all at this august occasion and to commend the work and achievements of IAMU to date. I wish you every success in the deliberations of the Assembly and, furthermore, I look forward to your continuing achievements and success in maritime education and training.

Thank you.