The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has removed the Indian Ocean from the list of High-Risk Areas (HRA) meaning a major boost to trade for the wider Eastern African region.
The decision was communicated during the 106th session of the Maritime Safety Committee at the International Maritime Organization in London, the UN agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping, by the BMP-5, which consists of the five largest global shipping industry associations.
“The discontinuation will greatly boost commerce and remove the security cloud that has hang over the region for more than a decade,” said Kenya’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organisation Amb. Manoah Esipisu.
An analysis conducted by the BMP-5 and the IMO Secretariat, and recent security developments have indicated that there is a decrease in the number of incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the region by approximately 22 percent globally compared to the same period last year.
The shipping associations are the International Association of Dry Cargo Ship Owners (INTERCARGO), the International Association of Independent Tank Owners (INTERTANKO), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and Oil Companies International (BIMCO).
