IMO and IPIECA reaffirm their commitment to support national authorities to remain prepared for oil spills during the Covid-19 pandemic

In a joint letter, IMO and IPIECA, as the principals underpinning the Global Initiative (GI) Programme, reaffirm their commitment to support national authorities to remain prepared for marine pollution incidents especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. They underline the fact that the risk of an oil spill or other consequences arising from a maritime accident remains ever-present.

During this unprecedented crisis, IPIECA and IMO continue to engage with the international preparedness and response community, and encourage Member States and stakeholders to keep abreast of the latest COVID-19 guidance provided on the IMO website and to engage with the GI projects, such as GI WACAF, to seek assistance in preparing for a possible spill response during this pandemic, or to help sustain capacity building efforts more generally.