The IMO Assembly, which meets every two years, is the agency of the Un responsible in matters of safety and protection of navigation and prevention of sea pollution. In addition, it elects the member countries of the Council, where Spain wants to maintain its presence.
Ábalos, in his speech, has stressed the need to continue working to find international solutions that improve the constant humanitarian challenge that migration implies, so that it is safe, orderly and regulated. The minister has valued the bilateral relations of Spain with those countries with which we share areas of responsibility, as well as the daily work carried out by our Salvage and Maritime Safety Society (SASEMAR).
In this regard, the head of the Department has reported that in the coming months Spain and Morocco will communicate to the IMO a new SAR regional agreement (search and rescue), which will allow further strengthening mechanisms for coordination and mutual cooperation.
Ábalos recalled the involvement and capacity of our country in matters such as safety in fishing vessels and in the fight against illegal fishing, as well as with the ecological transition, the digital revolution of the economy, equality between men and women and the fight against social inequality. As examples, he mentioned the Ministerial Conference organized by the IMO last October, in Torremolinos, and the next meeting in Madrid of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, COP25.
Work meetings
Ministry of developmentDuring the morning of today, and prior to his intervention in the IMO Assembly, the minister has held two working meetings. The first with the Secretary General of the IMO, Kitack Lim, who has shown Spain's commitment to enforce the Cape Town Agreement before 2022. The second with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelkader Amara, with the which has dealt with matters related to railway infrastructure, maritime rescue and strengthening good relations between the two countries.
The work trip of Ábalos will continue, tomorrow Tuesday, with a meeting with representatives of Spanish infrastructure companies based in the United Kingdom and with their participation in the "II Forum of transport infrastructures Spain-United Kingdom".
Finally, before finalizing his stay in London, the minister will hold a meeting with the correspondents of the Spanish media present in the British capital.