Key Highlights of Singapore’s Participation at the 33rd Session of International Maritime Organization Assembly

1.     Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, attended the 33rd Session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly with over 175 Member States in London, United Kingdom, from 27 November to 1 December 2023.  

2.     At the 33rd IMO Assembly Plenary Session, Dr Khor called for close and inclusive collaboration among the IMO, its Member States, and all maritime stakeholders, to ensure that the benefits of innovation, safety and security enhancements, digitalisation, and decarbonisation can be reaped by all. She highlighted that Singapore remained committed to working with fellow Member States to advance the IMO’s objectives, including efforts to accelerate the transition of the maritime sector towards a sustainable and digitalised future. These efforts include the IMO-Singapore NextGEN Connect initiative to bring together stakeholders, including industry, academia and global research centres, to develop inclusive route-based action plans for maritime decarbonisation in developing countries. Another notable initiative is the recently completed IMO-Singapore Single Window for Facilitation of Trade (SWiFT) project, which involved the development and handing over of a new generic Maritime Single Window platform for the Port of Lobito, Angola. Singapore would also continue to contribute to the development of human capital and to uphold the fundamentals of maritime safety and security. The transcripts of Dr Khor’s remarks are in Annexes A and B.

3.     Dr Khor also met with Mr Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the IMO and Mr Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General elect of the IMO and Director of the Marine Environment Division. Dr Khor reaffirmed Singapore’s support for the IMO’s work, including in the areas of sustainability and capacity development. 

4.     At the sidelines of the 33rd IMO Assembly, Dr Khor also met with her transport counterparts, including Pengiran Dato Shamhary Mustapha, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications, Brunei Darussalam, Mr Honorato Evita Oma, Minister of Transport, Post Office and New Information and Communication Technologies, Equatorial Guinea, Mr Christos Stylianides, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Greece, Mr Budi Karya Sumadi, Minister of Transportation, Indonesia, Mr Anthony Loke, Minister of Transport, Malaysia, Mr Aaron Farrugia, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Malta, Mr John Mutorwa, Minister of Works and Transport, Namibia, Mr Mark Harbers, Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management, the Netherlands, Mr Ayetola Adeboyega, Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Nigeria, Mr Jaime J. Jimenez Bautista, Secretary of Transportation, Philippines, Mr Olo Afoa Fiti Vaai, Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Samoa, and Mrs Manaporn Charoensri, Deputy Minister of Transport, Thailand. 

Annex A - Transcript of the General Statement by Dr Khor at 33rd Plenary Session of IMO Assembly

Annex B - Transcript of Candidature Statement by Dr Khor at 33rd Plenary Session of IMO Assembly