Nippon Foundation to co-host seminar on Malacca Straits

Ongoing efforts to improve safety and protection of the marine environment in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore will be the subject of a symposium organised by the Nippon Foundation and the Round Table of international shipping associations - Bimco, ICS, Intercargo and Intertanko - to take place in Kuala Lumpur on November 28.

The event which will be set up based on advice from the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (the Littoral States), also carries the support of the International Maritime Organization as a means to build further on various initiatives such as the Littoral States' Co-operative Mechanism and the IMO's Marine Electronic Highway project. ‘We are hoping that this symposium will serve as an example to the other industries to take up the burden of repaying their debt to the environment,’ Yohei Sasakawa, NF chairman told. ‘This is particularly important in the case of the 100km long Straits of Malacca and Singapore, as they are used for carrying around one third of the world’s oil supplies and half of world trade.’ ‘The results, due before the November symposium, should give us an accurate idea of the funds needed to ensure the safety of the marine environment in the area’, he told. The November symposium will cover topics linked to the Straits including the background, history and global significance, the legal background on safety and environmental protection in straits used for international navigation, in accordance with UNCLOS, future developments, corporate social responsibility and the development of the Co-operative Mechanism, amongst others.
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