The heads of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) plan to establishment of an inter-agency platform for information sharing on unsafe mixed migration by sea.
The platform, the establishment of which stems from a growing number of migrant deaths at sea, would also be in charge of disseminating information material on the dangers of such migration, in collaboration with other interested agencies.
IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu and IOM Director-General William L. Swing met at IMO Headquarters in London on Monday, June 29, where they reiterated their concern about the loss of life, injury, trauma and serious human rights’ violations affecting migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees travelling by sea.
In a joint statement on enhanced cooperation and collaboration between the two organizations, Sekimizu and Swing recognized the need for concerted global action to address this major challenge to the international community.
They agreed to facilitate discussions to find solutions to unsafe migration by sea and urged the international community to take robust measures against people smugglers “who operate without fear or remorse and who deliberately and knowingly endanger the lives of thousands of migrants at sea”.
The two also agreed to promote the relevant provisions of the IMO treaties addressing the safety of life at sea, search and rescue and facilitation of maritime traffic and to promote international migration law.