International Maritime Organisation (IMO) member states should support South Africa’s bid to retain its seat on the IMO general council, according to deputy minister of transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga.
“The re-election of South Africa to the council will ensure that developing countries in general, and the African continent in particular, gets a fair voice in international maritime affairs,” she said during an IMO assembly on Tuesday.
Chikunga noted that South Africa remained a central player in the IMO’s pursuit of the sustainable development of ocean economies and highlighted several factors in which the country proved this.
She pointed out that SA was actively operationalising the protection and sustainability goals for wealth creation in Africa’s maritime sector set out by the African Maritime Integrated Strategy adopted by the African Union.
