The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has announced that Iraq is embracing the move to digitalise its maritime sector, with plans to establish a Maritime Single Window for the major ports of Um Qasr (North and South).
A team of IMO experts completed a mission to Basra (30 June – 4 July) to identify what support the country needs to deliver on its ambitions.
Since 1 January 2024, all IMO Member States are required to use a one-stop digital platform or “Maritime Single Window” (MSW) to exchange key information among relevant stakeholders and agencies involved in the arrival, stay and departure of ships at ports. This reportedly streamlines procedures, boosting the efficiency of shipping worldwide.
With more than 80 per cent of Iraq’s imported goods passing through the Um Qasr ports, a Maritime Single Window system is expected to save time and costs. Once implemented, it will be extended to the Al-Faw Grand Port, scheduled to open in December 2024, and other Iraqi ports in the future.
IMO consultants met with Iraqi senior port officials, representatives from the maritime administration, government ministries and other relevant authorities. The team undertook field visits to observe the various port operations.
The detailed report of the mission, including recommendations, will serve as a reference for the development of the MSW system in Iraq, in accordance with IMO principles and guidance, and it will guide the development of related IT platforms which will interact with the MSW.
The mission was delivered through the IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) in coordination with the Maritime Attaché of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq to the UK and Northern Ireland, and the Ministry of Transport of Iraq, through the state-owned General Company of the Port of Iraq.
Just recently, the IMO sponsored a national training session in Mombasa, Kenya to educate authorities on maritime security control and compliance with SOLAS rule XI-2.