Global Industry Alliance (GIA) Launch Ceremony

2nd March 2009

GloBallast Partnerships has established a pioneering public-private sector partnership titled “Global Industry Alliance for Marine Biosecurity (GIA)” . This important and ground-breaking public-private partnership was officially launched with a formal ceremony at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization on March 2nd 2009.

Left to right: Ms. Katherine Palmer, Environment Manager , BP Shipping; Captain Yoh Huat Tey, Vice President, Technical Services, APL CO. Pte Ltd.; Mr. Miguel Palomares, Director, Marine Environment Division, IMO; Mr Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General, IMO; Mr. B.E. Jeong, Executive Vice President in Engineering & Technology Division, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering; Mr. Andrew Hudson, Principal Technical Adviser, UNDP; Mr. Ahmed A. Al Babtain, Marine Pollution Control Engineer, Vela International Marine Limited

The launch ceremony was a huge success in not only formalizing the formation of the GIA, but also in raising awareness of this new and innovative venture throughout the maritime community. The ceremony was attended by around 200 people, including representatives from the GIA partners, UNDP, members of the press, international delegates attending the IMO BLG meeting and members of the IMO Secretariat. Attendees heard speeches on the GIA from the IMO Secretary-General Mr. E. Mitropoulos, UNDP's Principal Technical Adviser Mr. Andrew Hudson, and from Captain Tey of APL, the current chairman of the GIA Industry Task Force. These speeches described the urgent need to address the ballast water problem, and welcomed the new partnership between the industry and IMO in doing so.

The ceremony led to extensive coverage in the main maritime press, including articles in Lloyds List, and on numerous websites including UNDP, Hellenic Shipping News, Maritime Executive, and many other websites hosted around the globe. The official press release can be found here.

The objective of GIA is to reduce the transfer of harmful invasive species and pathogens via ships’ ballast water, and to maximize global environmental benefits from addressing this issue in a sustainable and cost-effective manner, in partnership with the GEF’s GloBallast Project. A GIA Fund established through annual membership contribution by the GIA industry partners will provide the necessary financial resources for the GIA to implement selected projects. The current GIA members include shipping giants such as BP Shipping, Vela Marine International, Daewoo Ship Building, and APL. For a more in-depth description of the GIA initiative, please visit the main GIA page.

GIA Secretariat Contact:
Chief Technical Adviser
GloBallast Partnership Programme Coordination Unit
Marine Environment Division, IMO
4 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7SR
United Kingdom
Tel: +44-75873279
Email: jmatheic@imo.org