South-south and triangular cooperation - IMO

IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) fosters knowledge-sharing through training events and technical advisory missions, as a platform for assisting national maritime administrations to implement IMO instruments and regulations in an effective and harmonized manner. Resourced primarily through extra-budgetary funding, the ITCP supports the development of cooperation partnerships to achieve a wider multiplier effect for its activities. By providing a multilateral framework for South-South collaboration and Triangulation partnership development in the maritime sector, IMO fosters national and regional self-reliance among developing countries through activities which typically entail the provision of cost-free South-South consultancies for knowledge-sharing, training, technology transfer and on-the-job training.

The ITCP facilitates this approach by striving to share good practices and pilot schemes developed with maritime administrations, and to foster long-term partnerships between developing administrations. ITCP activities include training workshops and seminars, on technical maritime subjects, to strengthen the administrative capacities of the participating Member States through the training of their staff and to support the re-organization of their structure.

South-South collaboration has proved particularly effective in IMO's technical cooperation work to promote marine environment protection, through activities related to the prevention of pollution from ships, the establishment of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas; and the development of regional action plans for the protection and development of the marine environment and coastal areas.