Iran blamed the international maritime organization for keeping silent toward the humanitarian disaster to which the crew of Iranian merchant ships are subject to due to the sanctions.
Iran made the protest at the 91st meeting of the IMO.
Iran’s Permanent Representative to the IMO Ali-Akbar Marzban presented Iranian protest to the closing session of the five-day meeting in presence of representatives from about 100 member states and 40 governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Established in Geneva in 1948, the IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations with 170 Member States and three Associate Members. It's primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping.
The IMO consists of an Assembly, a Council and five main Committees: the Maritime Safety Committee; the Marine Environment Protection Committee; the Legal Committee; the Technical Cooperation Committee and the Facilitation Committee.
The Maritime Safety Committee is the most important body of the IMO.
Reading Iran’s protest message to the meeting, Marzban said certain restrictions and unreasonable measures which have lately been taken against Iran’s shipping industry have endangered safety of Iranian merchant ships and passenger ships and crew on board.
Denouncing some shipping institutes for refusal of safety services for Iranian ships, he said refusal to deliver safety services to Iranian merchant and passenger ships was made under pressures by certain governments singling the US administration.
The statement which was registered as an official document at the IMO’s Safety Committee, stressed that imposing restrictions on Iranian shipping industry was against international law and also against implementation of international regulations by goodwill which were emphasized in IMO’s Convention in 1948.
Criticizing those discriminatory and unjust measures against Iran’s shipping industry, the statement said Iran reserves the right to raise the issue at related international bodies based on the Articles Two and Three of the IMO’s Convention.
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Iran strongly protests to IMO over the risks created to crew of Iranian merchent ships
Dec 1, 2012, 4:13 PM
News ID:
80436975
London, Dec 1, IRNA – Iran on Friday strongly protested to London-based International Maritime Organization over the risks created by sanctions to the crew of Iranian merchant ships.
