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A-JL --> Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore 460 Alexandra Road PSA Building f1 9-00 Singapore .t 1 9963 A-rP Tel: (65) 6375 1 600 Fax: (65) 6275 9247 http://www. mpa. gov.sg MPA SINCAPORE 25 February 2019 Mr Rene Arikas Director General Estonian Maritime Admi nistration Valge 4 11413 Tallinn Estonia Dear t[1. Ar,ur, RE-ELECTION OF SINGAPORE TO THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION COUNCIL I have the honour to inform you that Singapore is seeking re-election to the lnternational Maritime Organization (lMO) Council, under Category "C", at the elections to be held during the 31st Regular Session of the IMO Assembly from 25 November to 5 December 2019 in London, the United Kingdom. As a maritime nation, Singapore is committed to advancing the IMO's mission of promoting safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans. Singapore's unique status as a major flag State, port State, and littora! State of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, allows us to offer a balanced and unique perspective on issues at the lMo. Singapore continues to be an active participant and contributor at the lMO, serving in various leadership positions and promoting international co-operation on key maritime issues. The Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection -formed under the IMO's "Protection of Vita! Shipping Lanes" initiative - is in its 12th year of international cooperation on matters related to the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. The Mechanism was launched in Singapore in 2001. Having herself benefited from technical assistance in the past, Singapore firmly believes in helping other IMO Member States develop their capabilities. We have trained close to 2,000 participants from over g0 IMO Member States under the Singapore-lMO Third Country Training Programme (TCTP) over the last 20 years, and taunched an enhanced USD 5million training package in 2018 for the IMO and its Member States to fi SINCAPORE @ALITY AWARD MARITIME SINGAPORE mark 20 years of Singapore-lMO TCTP collaboration. Singapore recognises the importance of building up Ieadership capabilities, particularly in the current era of transformation, and the MPA Academy provides flagship leadership programmes for the future generation of maritime Ieaders. Singapore has been an early and active supporter of the IMO's Member State Audit Scheme, a current IMO priority work area which aims to enhance compliance with IMO regulations and improve shipping standards. To date, Singapore has contributed auditors to the IMO audit pool and has been conducting training courses to help prepare IMO Member States for audits. I enclose an aide-mhmoire with further details of Singapore's contributions at the IMO and beyond. I would deeply appreciate your favourable consideration and support for Singapore's candidature to the IMO Council under Category "C", at the elections to be held later in November 2019,. lf Estonia is agreeable, we hope to receive a formal indication of your support soon. lt will be an honour for Singapore to continue serving the international maritime community through our membership on the IMO Council. CHIEF EXECUTIVE MARITIME AND PORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE Encl - Aide Mdmoire on Singapore's IMO Council candidature  , AIDE.MEMOIRE The Republic of Singapore is seeking re-election to the Council under Category 'C' at the 3ls Session of the IMO Assembly scheduled forNovember/December 2019 in London. 2 Singapore is a maritime nation, and intemational shipping plays a key role in otu econoury. We are fully committed to advancing the IMO's mission of ensuring safe, sectuE, envirouuentally sound, and efficient shipping. As a major flag State,r hub port State, and coastal State of a vital intemational shipping lane (the Shaits of Malacca and Sitrgapore),2 Siugapore appreciates the varied interests in interuational shipping and brings a unique balancedpuspective to the IMO and the issues it deals with. We are also constantly innovating and exploring new ways to enhance futemational maritime tansport for the benefit of the international corununity. Singapore has and will continue to take an inclusive approach in workirg with all IMO Member States and taking into account the views and interests of all parties in fte MO's work and decision-making.3 3 Singapore participates actively in the IMO Council and the MO's Coutrittees, Sub- Comrnillsss, and Working and Conespondence Groups. Singapore has clmired the IMO Council, the then Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids aud Gases (BLG), and the then Sub- Conrmil6s on Flag State Implementation (FSI). Singapore has also served as Vice-Chair of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (tvEPC) aud the Maritimc Safety Qsmrnitteg (MSC), andcunently serves asVice-Chairofthe Sub-Committee onHumaoElement, Training and Watchkeeping fiITW). In addition, we participatcd actively in the fonnulation of the IMO's Snategic Plan for 2018-2023,which sets out the IMO's strategic directions. Sinsaoore contributes sienificentlv to the IMO's caoacitv-buildine activities 4 Singapore is resolute in helping other States develop their capacity, having ouselves benefitted fronr tcchnical assistance fu the past. With the overiding objeetive of working towalds tlte universal iruplenrentation of IMO insnuments, we actively suppofi the MO's Integrated Techuical Co-operation Programme (ITCP) to build up developing trvIO Member States' capabilities to irnplement intemational maritime regulations ard standards. As a major contibutor to the IMO's budget, Singapore lms always chaurpioned the allocation of flurds for the ITCP. 5 Singapore recently launched an enhauced a6ining paclage for the IMO and its Member States on the 206 anniversary of the Singapore-Mo Memorandrun of Understarding (MOQ on Third Country Training hograrnrne (TCTP). As the fust State to sign such an MOU with I Siogryore's ship registy is arooog tlre five largest in tie wodd with more lto 4500 oemhaot vessels tohlliag 88.8 nillioa grcss tomes (GI) as of 2017. t singapore is one of the wqld's busiest ports, with vessel anivds by tooage totalling 2.8 billion gross toles io 2017. The pori of Siq$pore is dso amoag lhe wsld's msl efficieot trosstipomt poft, with omteiner droughpril rcacttug 33-? millioo tventy Foot Equivdeot Units (TEUs) io 20U. 3 We also biag t[e sane pempective od approach io the latemdimal Hy&ogrsphie orgeizatim (trIO) od the Iatemetionel Associa$oa of tvlarine Aids to Navigation and Lightrouse Adhorities ([AI"A), n'tere we slso s€fl,e oo their Conocils. the IMO, Singapore has provided and will continue to provide tocbnical assistance to developing IMO Member States across the world. Singapore has tained close to 2,000 participants from over 90 IMO Member States over the last 20 years uuder the TCTP, and will continue doing so through the MPA Acadeiny, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore's (MPA) training institute. The enhanced taining package for the IMO and IMO Member States, amounting to USD 5 million, raises the scale and scope of technical assistance Singapore provides to the intemational rnaritime community in co-operation wi0r the IMO. 6 The MPA Academy's flagship leadership progra$uncs continue to bring together maritime leaders and senior officials from amoss the globe for cross-learning and networting. The Advanced Maritime Leadsrs' Prograume lrelps Chief Executives and their deputies from maritime and port adurinistations all over the world build kuowledge and skills 16 effectively lead and transform their organizations in an increasingly complex and globalized euvironment. The Port Management Progrunme, tailored specifically for port masters and harbour mastef,s, covers areas such as mast€( planning for ports, vessel fiaffic management, maritime security, and crisis managoneut and communications. The Maritime Public l.caders' Frograume, into its cighth ruo this year, helps senior uraritime officials broaden their knowledge on a wide range of topics, ftom port plaming and management to shipping economics to public leadership and governance. 7 At the same 1i66, $ingapore is deepening its partnership with the World Maritime University (Whdtl). The MPA Acadcmy and WMU signed an MOU in 2015 to co-operate ro fiuther strengthen global maritime leadership dwelopment. To date, Singapore has hosted more than 230 WMU sildents for field study visits under the pofi ftmagement specialisation in the WMU's Master of Science pogrtmme. We will iucrease the number of WMU study visits to Singapore, and broaden and deepen our partnership with WMU. Singapore promotes safe. secure. open. and environrnentally sound shigping worldwide 8 Singapore is cornmitted to promoting safc, secure, envirounentally sound, and open shipping on clean ocea$s. The good safety record of vessels flagged undcr the Singapore Registry of Ships (SRS) is t€stament to this. Singapore has ratified and implemented every major IMO convention in force relating to ship safety and the preveution of pollutiou from ships. 9 Under the MO's 'Protection of Vital Shipping Larcs' initiative, Singapore, togethcr with Indonesia and Malaysia, developed the Co-operative Mechaaism on Safcty of Navigatiou and Environmental Protection in the Staits of Malacca and Singapore ('Co-operative Mechanism') to keep the Straits safe and open for international shipping. Lauuched in 200? in Singapore, the Co-operative Mechanism continues to be an important platfonn for user States and nrajor stakeholders to eogage the littoral States on key issues and initiatives concerning the Straits. l0 Beyoud the Straits, Singapore champions safety at sea thaough various regional and international initiatives. For instance, Singapore launched the Safety@Sea campaign, an iadustry-wide effon to iucrease awareness of safe practices and inculcate a safcty-first culhue at sea lm2014. Building on the carnpaigq Singapore initiated the Intenrational Safety@Sea Conference in 2016 and subsequently organised it annually, bringing together some 250 interuational rnaritime professionals to share best practices for safety at sea. Singapore will continue to partner IMO Meurbsr States, maritime authorities, intenrational orgauisations, and industry associations to promote a culture of safety awareness and raise safety standards in intemational shipping. l1 Recogrtising the importance of enhancing maritinre secuiy. Singapore was among the fust States in the world to conrply futly with the MO's Intemational Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. To furttrer enhance security as well as navigational safety iu our port, Singapore embarked on the installation of new Automatic Identification System-Class B (AIS- B) transponders and Electonic Chart Systems (ECS) on all small harbotr and pleasure craft operatiug in ow waters, which was completed iu January 2017. 12 Singapore also plays an active role in couutering piracy, which is a signilicant concem affecting the global ruaritirne comrnunity. Singapore is a founding ruember of the Regional Co-operation Agreement Against Piracy and Anued Robbery Against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), the first regional govenunenhto-govemrnent initiative to promote co-operation against piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. Singapore also plays host to the RcCAAP Infonnation Sharing Centre (ISC), established in 2006, and remains the largest financial contibutor to the ReCAAP ISC. The objectives of the ReCAAP ISC include infonnation sharing, capacity building, and fostering gleater co-operation aurong ftsQAAP members to tackle piracy and anned robbery against ships in Asia. Singapore continues to joitttly conduct sea and air maritirne security patols of the Sraits of Malacca and Singapore with Indonesia, Malaysia. and Thailand. 13 h Januaty 2017, Singapore hosted the inaugtual Meeting of Anti-Piracy Contact Points aud Worlahop on Piracy and Anned Robbery against Ships, which allowed participants &om Africa, Asia and Euopc to exchange bestpractices on infonnation sharing, and deepen the ties and couunurications among anti-piracy contact points. Beyond Asia, Singapore has also contribnted to the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Since 2009, Singapore lras comrnanded the urultirmtiorul Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 five tirnes, and has deployed task groups to CTF 15I ermylEar. Singap-ofe reuiains tfeeplyconc€ri-ed dboul pifeey^di:ld anued robbery against ships, and will coutinue to work tlrough the IMO to ensuE that the areas affected by such heinous and unlawftll acts receive intemational attention. 14 Singapore has beeu an early and active supporter of the MO's Voluntary IMO Menrber State Audit Scheme (VIMSAS), now irutitutionalised as the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (MSAS) to euhance compliance with IMO regulations and reduce sub-standard shipping. We participated in the Pilot Audit koject fu 2004 and contributed to the IMO auditor pool nro qualified auditors, who lrave gone otr to seive as audit team menrbers and team leaders in VIMSAS and IMSAS audits on behalfof the IMO. Siugaport was audited under the VIMSAS in 2008, with results showing that we had complied with all the provisions of the IMO conventious that Singapore is party to. Singapore has been conducting fisining prograrxnes on the VIMSASfiMSAS for other IMO Meiuber States. such as a regional workshop on the IMSAS in October 2016 where we shared our experience with preparing for the audit. 15 Singapore fimlybelieves inbuildiug a more sustainable maritime transport system, and is actively contibuting to the efforts by all stakeholders towards such a future. In co-opcration with the IMO, Singapore organised the inaugural Future Ready Shipping Conference in September 2015 and the second editiou in Septcmbet 2017. These Conferences brought togcther IMO Member States, industry leaders, and other stakeholders to eogage in a global dialogue on encouaging greater uptake, hansfer, and utilisation of technologies to facilitate internatioual shipping's move to a mor€ energy-efficient and low<arton funue. Singapore fully supports the MO's development of a sfiategy for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissious from ships. To this end, Singapore co-organised an Asia-Europe Meetrng (ASEM) Conference on the theme 'Greer Shipping. Blue Business. Moving Fonrrard Together' immediately after the adoptionof the II\rIO's initial strategyin April2018. t6 More broadly. Singapore believes that developments such as Industry 4.0, digitalisation, aud other disruptive technologies will inevitably irupact the maritime industy, bringing new challenges and opportunities. Singapore will continue to wort $,ith IMO Mcmber States and the intemational maritimc comurunity in the development of appropriate stategies to prcpare thc industry for the funne. Slngapore's candldature to the IMO Councll under Crtegory'C' l7 Singapore hopes, withre-electionto the IMOCourcil, to furthercontributeto the MO's missiou, and sccks Member States' support for our candidanre under Category 'C' of the elections at the IMO Asseurbly in November/December 2019.