The video was launched during a webinar (8 October) on “Future of Shipping: Digitalization”, co-organised by IMO and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.  Opening the webinar, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim emphasised the need for increased digitalization. “The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges. But we must take this opportunity to seize on the opportunities that increased digitalisation in the maritime sector can present – to enhance the resilience of the maritime supply chain, to support sustainable development and to enable recovery,” he said. 

He also reiterated why the IMO FAL convention is so important, as it helps make cross-border trader simpler for the more than 10 billion tons of goods traded by sea annually across the globe. “Just last week IMO’s Facilitation Committee, meeting in virtual session, approved a revised version of the IMO Compendium on Facilitation and Electronic Business. These are critical steps towards harmonized and standardised digitalization,” he said.  (Full speech here.) 

Speakers at the event reaffirmed the clear benefits maritime digitalisation offers, to improve the efficiency and resilience of supply chains. IMO, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the World Bank intend to work together, along with other interested partners, to support IMO Member States in the digitalisation of their ports, particularly in the implementation of Maritime Single Windows.