IMO and IOM heads pledge to tackle migration crisis

At a meeting held at IMO Headquarters in London the pair observed a minutes silence for the thousands of dead who suffered during unsafe and illegal voyages across the Mediterranean Sea, seeking refuge and a better life in Europe.

The pair again pledged to improve their organisations' collaboration and information sharing, spread relevant information to other agencies, and urge the international community to deal with smugglers and people traffickers.

“We noted the urgency with which the situation must be addressed of thousands of migrants who find themselves on perilous journeys... we resolved to intensify our Organizations’ cooperation to find international solutions to the issues at hand," Sekimizu and Swing said in a joint-statement.

The two bodies will also work in promoting the current applicable provisions in the International Convention for the Safety ofLife at Sea (SOLAS), the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR), and the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL) which relate to the current crisis.