The Secretariat undertook Compliance Support Missions to Thailand and Malaysia, in August (18/22) and September (16/19) 2014, respectively. In all, a total of 49 staff from Thailand and Malaysia attended the sessions where issues of compliance, for each of the respective countries were addressed, and Plans of Actions were drafted to assist the two countries to clarify some of the obligations that the two countries were not fully compliant with. The Plans developed, which stretches over a period of two years, are meant to provide a month by month guideline to each of the countries on their respective reporting obligations.
Following the Compliance Support Mission, a one-week training in the implementation of the IOTC Port State Measures Resolution was also undertaken in both countries. A total of 47 officers responsible for the implementation of port State measures were trained on the range of procedures required to ensure effective port State control.
The missions to Thailand and Malaysia were made possible through the generous, extra-budgetary contributions of the European Commission, towards the capacity building activities of the Commission. The acceptance of the Governments of Thailand and Malaysia to receive the missions were testimony to their commitment to improve their level of compliance to the organization.
Port State Measures Training Thailand (Left) and Malaysia (Right)