Announcements

04/02/2010	IMO-WMU Ballast Water Week
	http://globallast.imo.org
	A packed week of ballast water activities concluded on Friday 29 January with closing remarks by Mr. Miguel Palomares, Director, Marine Environment Division, IMO. The ballast water week started with a first ever global forum for facilities involved in the testing of ballast water treatment systems (24-25 January). The forum, where most of the world?s active and planned test facilities took place, discussed possibilities to harmonize the testing and reporting procedures. The Test Facility Forum was followed by a Pre-conference expert workshop on proving equivalency between IMO Guidelines G8/G9 approved treatment systems and alternative management options. The workshop, with some 70 participants, was moderated by Mr. Brian Elliott, EMSA, with presentations from Mr. Dandu Pughiuc (IMO), Mr. Jan Linders (GESAMP BWWG Chairman), Dr. Rob Hilliard (consultant to the GIA and GloBallast), Professor Peilin Zhu (consultant to the GIA and GloBallast). A very interesting and stimulating discussion followed. (Image courtesy of WMU) The Global R&D Forum on Emerging BWM Systems was held from 27 to 29 January, and was intended to provide a possibility to showcase the new and emerging systems, which could complement the systems reviewed, tested and approved under the G8/G9 Guidelines of the BWM Convention. The Forum brought together the international community engaged in developing innovative ballast water management systems, including alternative management systems, providing an open debate and review of the existing and emerging systems and the way forward to push the technology envelope to meet the challenges of ballast water management. In addition, it allowed for a stock-taking on what we have learned so far, and a discussion on the possibilities and challenges ahead. Approximately 240 participants attended the Forum. GloBallast PCU would like to thank the co-organizers and sponsors, namely the World Maritime University (WMU) the Global Industry Alliance (GIA), APL, BP Shipping, Daewoo Shipbuilding &Marine Engineering, Vela Marine International, Malm?ty, the Interreg Ballast Water Opportunity project, Wilhelmsen Ships Equipment AS and Respartner AB. The next major BWM event will be the 5th International Conference & Exhibition on Ballast Water Management (ICBWM 2010), in Singapore, 1-4 November 2010. See www.ballast2010.com for details!

03/02/2010	Award for GloBallast Partner
	http://www.rempec.org/news.asp?theIDS=2_39&daChk=0&theName=News
	It is a great pleasure to inform our readers that Ms. Lilia Khodjet El Khil, key partner in the GloBallast Partnerships Project, and REMPEC officer in charge of marine environment protection related projects has been nominated "Chevalier de lOrdre du M?te Maritime" in January 2010 by the Government of France. Since joining REMPEC Ms. Lilia Khodjet El Khil, a Tunisian national with a Ph. D. in law, has been very active in all the activities of the Centre, and particularly in assisting the Contracting Parties in various projects aiming at implementing the requirements of the MARPOL convention as well as, more recently, facilitating the ratification in the region of the 2004 IMO convention on the management of ships ballast waters through the GEF-UNDP-IMO "Globallast Partnerships project". She also assisted in drafting the guidelines concerning "pleasure craft activities and the protection of the marine environment in the Mediterranean". The GloBallast PCU congratulates Ms. Lilia Khodjet El Khil on this prestigious award and wish her every success in all her future endeavours.

21/12/2009	Panama moves further ahead
	http://globallast.imo.org
	Panama moves further ahead Panama held its second National Seminar and Consultation Meeting on IMO Ballast Water Management Convention in Panama City, Panama, on 11th December 2009. This meeting was another important milestone in Panamas efforts in moving towards the ratification and implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention. The national meeting followed the two important wider-Caribbean regional ballast water management activities coordinated by RAC/REMPEITC and hosted by Panama, namely the first GloBallast Regional Task Force meeting and the regional training on legal implementation of the BWM Convention. Over 30 participants from various government organizations, academia and the private sector participated in the national meeting. The main objectives of this seminar were to raise awareness on invasive aquatic species and ballast water management, and also to facilitate discussions amongst all stakeholders on the way forward. As a result, all participants agreed on the needs and formalization of a National Task Force for BWM and to develop a National Action Plan to progress towards the implementation of the Convention. The seminar was opened by Mr. Alfonso Castillero, Director, Directorate of Merchant Marine, Panama Maritime Authority. The participants were welcomed by Mr. Juan Pablo Fabrega, Deputy Director, Directorate of Merchant Marine, Panama Maritime Authority as well as Dr. Jose Matheickal of IMO-GloBallast Partnerships. RAC/REMPEITC and the GloBallast Partnerships PCU facilitated the technical presentations on the Convention. A series of presentations were made by the various government organizations who are directly connected to the ballast water management aspects, as well as by universities and research institutes involved in dealing with invasive aquatic species. The seminar and discussions covered various aspects of the issue, including the current status of marine invasions in the region, implementation of Ballast Water Management Convention, BWM standards, current and emerging treatment technologies for BWM, inspection procedures and issuance of certificates, ship documents and reporting aspects. The GloBallast Partnerships Focal Point for Panama Mr. Abraham Martinez, Technical Officer, Compliance and Enforcement Department, chaired the national meeting as well as the group discussions that developed a consensus on the way forward. Panama has already implemented a national regulation that prohibits ballast water discharge in the Panama canal. A major outcome of the meeting was the consensus by all participants on the draft of an ambitious national action plan, clearly indicating the interest by Panama in addressing this important environmental issue and in supporting the shipping industry interests through preparatory activities. With the latest accessions by countries such as Sweden, Marshall Islands and the Republic of Korea during this past month, the Convention has reached one step closer to its entry into force. The entry into force of the Convention would need only another 9 countries representing 12% of the world?s merchant tonnage to accede to the Convention. Since it is widely expected that a number of countries will accede to the Convention in 2010, making the entry into force of the Convention imminent, many countries have already started preparing for the implementation of the Convention and building necessary capacity. Congratulations Panama on this important step!

16/12/2009	Jamaica takes the lead
	http://www.jamaicaships.com
	Moving from BWM Convention to its Legal Implementation: Jamaica holds the first national legal workshop Jamaica, one of the GloBallast Lead Partnering Countries, held the first national level legal workshop on ballast water management, clearly demonstrating the intention to move towards ratification and implementation of the BWM Convention. The one-day National legal workshop was coordinated by the Jamaica Maritime Authority and was attended by senior lawyers from various Ministries and Departments. The workshop was opened by Rear Admiral Peter Brady, Director General of the Jamaica Maritime Authority, who reiterated Jamaicas commitment to address this serious marine environmental issue. The workshop was facilitated by Dr Winston McCalla, a well-known maritime lawyer from the region who was also involved in developing the GloBallast Legal training package. Mr Bertrand Smith, GloBallast National Project Coordinator, chaired the workshop and the plenary discussions. The national legal workshop, targeting the key lawmakers to discuss the drafting of national BWM legislation was the first of its kind among the GloBallast Countries. Congratulations Jamaica in taking this lead!

27/11/2009	GloBallast attends EAS Congress
	http://www.iisd.ca/ymb/sea/easc2009/
	Globallast PCU was in attendance at the East Asian Seas Congress 2009, held in Manila, Philippines from 23-27 November 2009. This five-day event was expected to provide a region-wide platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, capacity building, strategic action and cooperation for the sustainable development of the seas of East Asia. The theme of the Congress was "Partnerships at Work: Local Implementation and Good Practices." The event progressed well, with extensive presentations given by the GloBallast team. More details about the content of their presentations, along with detailed daily highlights and even a picture of the GloBallast PCUs very own Fredrik Haag, can be found here.

17/11/2009	GEF IW5
	http://www.iwlearn.net/iwc2009
	5th Biennial GEF International Waters Conference, Cairns, North Queensland, 26 - 29 October 2009 10/11/2009 GloBallast PCU attended the 5th Biennial GEF International Waters Conference, hosted by the Government of Australia in Cairns, North Queensland, from 26 to 29 October 2009. REMPEC was invited, along with the RAC-REMPEITC for the Caribbean region, to be part of the IMO-GloBallast delegation composed of the GloBallast Partnerships Technical Advisers. The purpose of the Conference was to share experiences and innovative practices among GEFs global International Waters portfolio, promote learning and capacity building, develop strategies to enhance stakeholder collaboration, and encourage GEF International Waters projects to apply evolving GEF policies and procedures during implementation. The Conference was an opportunity for GloBallast and its Regional Coordinating Organization partners to present the results achieved so far and expected outcome in the Mediterranean region with respect to ships? ballast water management and invasive species. More information on the 5th Biennial GEF International Waters Conference can be found on the IW Learning Exchange and Resource Network

21/07/2009	GCLME PBBS Training
	http://igcc.gclme.org/
	The Center for Oceanographic Research, Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, hosted a training on Port Biological Baseline Surveys for the countries in the GCLME region, 6-8 July 2009. The training was organized by GloBallast, with the funding support of IMO-ITCP Programme and regional coordination support of the IGCC/GCLME-RCU. The training was a great success and GloBallast PCU thanks everyone who made the journey for this important training.

10/07/2009	PERSGA meetings
	http://www.persga.org/
	Recent meetings in Egypt and Jordan, facilitated by PERSGA, were a great success, with excellent outcomes generated. A GloBallast National Task Force meeting in Suez was followed by both a National Task Force meeting for Jordan, and a Regional Task Force meeting. These meetings, along with other recent and forthcoming meetings and training activities, show that significant momentum is being created in the region in addressing the ballast water issue. Thanks to all those involved!

16/06/2009	Lithuania Training Success
	http://www.msa.lt
	The GloBallast Introductory Training Package has been successfully delivered to the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, with funding support from the IMO ITCP programme. This training was hosted by the Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration ( http://www.msa.lt ) and was held in Klaipeda, Lithuania, from 9 to 12 June 2009. 26 participants attended from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Finland, Russia, Germany, Sweden and HELCOM ( http://www.helcom.fi ). During the opening ceremony, which was covered by media, the participants were addressed by the Director of the Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration, Captain Zacharevičius, who stressed the importance of the issue for the region, being a semi-enclosed sea with high shipping intensity. In addition to the capacity building and awairness raising aspects, the activity provided an excellent opportunity for the participants to exchange experiences and further supporting the regional harmonization by building relationships with their counterparts in the other countries. GloBallast PCU congratulates everyone who particpated in the training.

17/04/2009	GCLME Regional Training
	http://igcc.gclme.org/index.php
	The GloBallast Training package has again been successfully delivered at the regional level. This time it was the turn of the Interim Guinea Current Commission and Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem project to host the training for the West and Central African region. The training was held in Accra, Ghana, from 31 March to 3 April 2009, in English with simultaneous interpretation to French. During the opening ceremony, the 30 participants were addressed by the Honorable Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Ms. Sherry Ayitey. Television newspaper coverage was also given, further helping to raise awareness about the issue. This very well-organized event was attended by representatives from 15 countires, illustrating the high importance attached to ballast water related issues in the region. Globallast PCU thanks and congratulates the IGCC/GCLME-RCU!

07/04/2009	South Pacific Training Activities
	http://www.sprep.org
	GloBallast, with the funding support of IMO-ITCP Programme and regional coordination support of SPREP, organized two back-to-back GloBallast training activities in the SPREP region, the GloBallast Introductory Training Course and the Port Biological Baseline Survey Training Course. These regional activities, held in Suva, Fiji from 9 to 17 March 2009, were hosted by Government Fiji and carried out to the highest standard by SPREP, helped by a number of expert instructors from the region as well as from NIWA, New Zealand. These activities, planned within the GloBallast Project Framework, formed the foundation for further national level training activities in the South Pacific Region and significantly assisted in building the momentum towards ratification of the International Convention for Ballast Water Management, by the South Pacific countries. Congratulations to everyone who took part!

07/04/2009	First Spanish GloBallast Training
	http://www.rocram.net/prontus_rocram/site/artic/20090114/pags/20090114113251.php
	The middle of March saw the hosting of another very successful GloBallast Regional Training. This training was held for the maritime administrations of the South American countries, and was hosted in Vina del Mar, Chile. The training was supported by IMOs Technical Cooperation programme and coordinated by ROCRAM, and it was the first time the newly translated Spanish version of the GloBallast Training Package was delivered. Globallast PCU was in attendance, with Technical Adviser Fredrik Haag giving an opening address as well as aiding in the training itself. The GloBallast Regional Coordinating Organization, CPPS, also participated through Dr. Fernando Felix as one of the instructors. More information can be found here .

06/03/2009	GIA Launch Ceremony
	http://globallast.imo.org/index.asp?page=GIA-Launch.html&menu=true
	The GloBallast Global Industry Alliance was launched on the 2nd of March 2009. The event was held at IMO Headquarters in London and was a great success, with over 200 high-profile attendees from many different areas of the maritime community. Speeches by the IMO Secretary-General, high-level UNDP representatives, and partners from the shipping industry were followed by a reception that not only celebrated the formation of this innovative public-private partnership, but also greatly raised awareness on the efforts of the industry to fight the ballast water problem. The GloBallast Partnerships PCU thanks everybody who attended, and looks forward to a successful partnership with the industry. For more information regarding this high profile event, please click here, and for more information on the Global Industry Alliance, please see the main GIA web page.

10/02/2009	Panama makes move
	http://globallast.imo.org/
	Panama held its First National Seminar and Consultation Meeting on IMO Ballast Water Management Convention in Panama City, Panama, on 5th February 2009. This successful meeting was an important milestone in Panamas efforts in moving towards the establishment of a National Task Force on Ballast Water Management. Over 50 participants from various government organizations, academia and private sector participated in the meeting. The all-inclusive strategy adopted by the Panama Maritime Authority to organize this meeting resulted in a significant rising of awareness of the issue among the key stakeholders, as well as facilitating the consensus-building amongst the participants on establishing a National Task Force for BWM. The seminar was opened by Mr. Alfonso Castillero, Director, Merchant Marine of Panama Maritime Authority. The Chief Technical Adviser of IMO-GloBallast Partnerships Project, Dr Jose Matheickal, facilitated the Seminar. The seminar covered various aspects of the issue, including implementation of Ballast Water Management Convention, BWM standards, current and emerging treatment technologies for BWM, inspection procedures and issuance of certificates, ship documents and reporting aspects. Ms. Flor Torrijos of Intermaritime Group facilitated the discussions on National Task Force formation. Panama has already implemented a national regulation that prohibits ballast water discharge in the Panama canal. A major outcome of the seminar was the consensus by all participants on the need for establishing a National Task Force (NTF), and the identification of initial members of such a Task Force. A draft list of NTF members were therefore identified. The seminar was supported and co-sponsored by various organizations ? Panama Canal Authority, Panama Maritime Chamber, Panama Law Association, and Intermaritime Group. Congratulations Panama on this important step!

18/06/2008	Croatia Moves Ahead
	http://www.rempec.org/newsmore.asp?id=242&lang=en
	The First National Task Force Meeting was held in Zagreb, Croatia, from the 29th to the 30th of May 2008. This successful meeting was an important milestone for the GloBallast Partnerships Project in Croatia. Over 50 participants from various government organizations, academia and private sector participated in the meeting. The all-inclusive strategy adopted by the Lead Agency to organize this meeting resulted in a significant raising of awareness of the issue and the Project activities, as well as facilitating the consensus-building amongst the participants on future action plans. The Chief Technical Adviser of the GloBallast Partnerships Project gave a presentation on the Global project framework, explaining what was expected from the LPC and identifying the expected outcomes from the project. Presentations were also made by various experts and government organizations on various aspects of the issue, such as invasive species issue in the Adriatic sea, overview of the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention, ballast water treatment technologies, inspection procedures and issuance of certificates, ship documents and reporting aspects, sampling & analyzing and baseline studies and monitoring of harbour areas. Croatia has already developed and started implementing the national regulations on ballast water, although Croatia is not a party to the BWM convention. A major outcome of the meeting was the formalization of various working groups within the national Task Force and identification/nomination of chairs of various working groups. A number of priority areas were identified, and the formation of various working groups to address these major issues, in addition to the development of a national ballast water management strategy, clearly demonstrate the success of this meeting and the progress achieved by the Lead partnering Country. Congratulations Croatia!