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Jakarta – The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation held the 2024 Planning and Signing Conference for Regional Marine Pollution Exercise (Marpolex) on July 24-27, 2023, in Bali.
The ministry's Directorate of Sea and Coast Protection (KPLP) said that the event would accommodate the final discussions and signing of documents for the 2024 Regional Marpolex by three coastal countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan.
The commitment was witnessed by the newly elected Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco of the Republic of Panama.
"The three coastal countries are preparing to carry out the 2024 Regional Marpolex exercises in the Philippines, while the signing of the training document will be witnessed directly by the newly elected IMO Secretary-General Velasco," KPLP's Director, Rivolindo said in a statement received on Monday.
Kementerian Perhubungan Republik Indonesia / Kemenhub RI
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In the 2024 Regional Marpolex, the three countries will be represented by their respective coast guards.
"This joint exercise has been routinely carried out by the three coastal countries every two years. It usually takes place in either Indonesia or Philippine waters, while the Japanese Coast Guard will become the observer," Rivolindo stated.
Dominguez will be a speaker at the workshop on "The Regional Cooperation in the Implementation of IMO Instrument on Marine Environmental Protection" on the same day as the signing of the 2024 Regional Marpolex training documents.
It will also be followed by activities on "Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response, and Cooperation in ASEAN Perspective" by the Global Initiative for Southeast Asia (GISEA) in the same place.
In addition to the discussions and document signing, the event will also hold workshops attended by coast guards from the three countries in Bali.
The workshops will also be attended by representatives of Indonesia's Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas), state-run port operator Pelindo, National Shipowners Association (INSA), and Indonesia Classification Bureau (BKI).
"With the presence of Secretary-General Velasco in Bali, it shows that IMO considers Indonesia's strategic position as a member of the IMO Council and certainly shows IMO's concern for Indonesia's commitment to seriously improve its shipping safety and security and protect the maritime environment," he explained.
