Under the EU European Union funded project on Port Security and Safety of Navigation in Eastern and Southern Africa, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) implemented and/ or delivered the following activities during the period February 2024 to July 2024:
Port Facility Security Assessments, Port Louis, Mauritius (5-8 February 2024)
30 participants from the Prime Minister’s Office, Mauritius Police Force/National Coast Guard, Mauritius Ports Authority and Shipping Division and private operators took part in a workshop focused on Port Facility Security Assessments (PFSAs). This workshop aimed at assisting representatives of the Designated Authority on how to divide the port into independent port facilities and conduct a port security assessment through identification of gaps.
The gaps may include physical security, structural integrity, personnel protection systems, procedural policies, telecommunications systems, relevant infrastructure, utilities and other areas posing a risk to persons, property or operations within the port facility.
National PSC activity in Tanzania, Zanzibar (12-16 February 2024)
This workshop aimed to develop the capacity of national authorities to carry out effective control and compliance measures on ships to enhance maritime security.
Running from 12 to 16 February, it was part of a series of IMO maritime security workshops on control and compliance, delivered under the EU-funded PSP project.
Duly authorized Officers from both Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar took part in the workshop, including nine participants from the Zanzibar Maritime Authority (ZMA).
This activity helped to increase their capacity and knowledge about the application of control and compliance measures under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), specifically Chapter XI-2 on special measures to enhance maritime security (SOLAS XI-2).
The national workshop also encouraged knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices to promote proper understanding of what an effective and adequately staffed control and compliance regime entails.
Joint Training Activity IMO/UNODC/INTERPOL (under coordination of IOC), in Mombasa, Kenya (16-18 April 2024)
What do port security personnel do in the event of a bomb threat or spillage of dangerous goods at the port? These are the kind of scenarios explored in an inter-agency workshop in Mombasa, Kenya on maritime security , which run from 16 to 18 April 2024.
The joint training exercise aimed to train law enforcement officers and Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs) on how to manage security incidents within the port was part of a series of IMO maritime security workshops on control and compliance,
Seventeen Designated Authority (DA) personnel from Kenya took part in the workshop, co-organized by IMO, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
Participants increased their capacity and knowledge about the inter-agency coordination through national tabletop exercises, and included simulations and drills of various scenarios, from cyber-security and bomb threats to drug smuggling in ports.
The national workshop also encouraged knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices to promote joint working and a whole of government approach.
The training was in line with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and ISPS Code on special measures to enhance maritime security.
National PSC activity in Mombasa, Kenya, (24-28 June 2024)
Maritime agencies in Kenya examined critical control and compliance measures to be carried out on ships entering the country’s ports, to ensure maritime security in a national training programme delivered by IMO in Mombasa between 24-28 June 2024, which aimed to train officials in maritime security control and compliance, as required under the International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS regulation XI-2).
Fifteen participants represented the country’s key maritime agencies, gained the relevant knowledge and skills regarding best practices to promote and improve understanding of the requirements for an effective and adequately staffed control and compliance regime.
Maritime agencies in attendance included the Kenya Coast Guard Services (KCGS), Kenya Maritime Agency (KMA), Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), State Department of Shipping and Maritime (SDSM), Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA) and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Madagascar and Comoros Intensive port security training completed
Comorian and Malagasy national authorities gained essential skills and knowledge to help ensure the security of their ports, following a series of IMO training activities held in Antananarivo, Madagascar (9 to 19 July).
Twenty-four personnel representing a range of government departments, ministries and agencies in Madagascar took part in an initial tabletop exercise followed by a National Maritime Security Committee (NMSC) workshop (9-12 July).
Participants were trained on what to do in high-risk scenarios such as entry of a ship in a port (ship reception), arrival of a ship with drugs, hijacking of a ship in transit at port, sabotage of a port facility and dealing with stowaways.
The aim was to promote multi-agency collaboration and a whole-of-government approach in addressing national maritime security risks and strategies. The session supported the Madagascar maritime authority in developing a National Maritime Security Committee structure to support such collaboration.
ISPS Code self-assessment and audit
The tabletop exercise and the NMSC workshop were followed by a regional workshop (15-19 July) focused on effective implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, through self-assessments and audits.
The ISPS Code contains mandatory maritime security measures required for international shipping. The workshop covered both theoretical and practical training on how to carry out audits and self-assessments to evaluate how effectively a Member State is fulfilling its obligations under the Code.
Twenty-four participants from Comoros and Madagascar included Port Facility Security Officers and representatives of the Designated Authorities of both countries (Agence Portuaire Maritime Fluviale for Madagascar and Agence Nationale des Affaires Maritimes for Comoros).
They discussed how to plan, prepare and conduct audits as well as draft audit reports. This is to ensure that ISPS Code requirements are implemented effectively within the port facilities in Madagascar and Comoros, while promoting a coordinated and standardized approach across the region.
Comoros bolsters Port State Control capabilities
Authorities in Comoros strengthened their capacity to inspect foreign ships calling into the country’s ports to ensure they comply with global safety and environmental regulations, set by IMO. Substandard vessels can pose threats to seafarers and the economy of coastal States.
A national workshop delivered by IMO on Port State Control in Anjouan, Comoros (22 – 25 July) gathered 24 participants from the three major islands in the Comoros archipelago. They included government officials and representatives from the Comoros Maritime Authority (ANAM) and Comoros Port Authority (SCP).
The training focused on enhancing their capacity and knowledge about the application of control and compliance measures under International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), specifically Chapter XI-2 on special measures to enhance maritime security. Participants also discussed ways to reduce the volume of substandard ships that call at Comoros’ ports.
Theoretical lessons are supplemented by practical exercises at the port of Mutsamudu in Anjouan, with hands-on training on how to carry out effective control and compliance measures on ships. Participants shared their experiences, knowledge and best practices.
