High level Support for Shipping Symposium

International Symposium on Safety and Protection of the Marine Environment in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 24 November.

Over 200 delegates, including ship-owners and operators, are expected to attend the International Symposium on Safety and Protection of the Marine Environment in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 24 November. The symposium is being organised by The Nippon Foundation and the Round Table of international shipping associations – BIMCO, ICS (International Chamber of Shipping), INTERCARGO, and INTERTANKO – the first time that the shipping industry has come together in this way as direct users of the Straits.

The governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore – the littoral states – have welcomed this initiative, as has the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

The main objective of the symposium will be to discuss current positive developments in support of safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment in the Straits, such as the Co-operative Mechanism established by the littoral states last year, and the Aids to Navigation Fund, a voluntary fund set up in April to protect the future of the Straits.

Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, which campaigns for global maritime safety, comments that “the symposium is being held in recognition of the importance of the Straits in terms of sustainable utilisation of the seas and sustainable development of the world economy. Future success depends on all stakeholders working together in a spirit of mutual co-operation and corporate social responsibility.

“This is a notable ‘first’ for the shipping industry and a significant step forward for the security of the Straits”.

The Nippon Foundation has already contributed to the Aids to Navigation Fund, as have MENAS, United Arab Emirates and the Korean Government.

Mr. Sasakawa will be making a keynote address during the opening session of the symposium. Welcome remarks will be made by Mr. Ong Tee Keat, Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, on behalf of the littoral states, and Mr. Spyros Polemis, Chairman of ICS, for the organisers. Speakers will include experts drawn from the littoral states, governments, industry and academia.

The Straits of Malacca and Singapore rank as one of the busiest in the world, with transiting ships carrying around one third of the world’s oil supplies and half of world trade.

• About the Nippon Foundation

The Nippon Foundation is a private, non-profit foundation established in 1962. The Foundation’s overall objectives include assistance for humanitarian activities, both at home and abroad, and global maritime development. Its philanthropic ideals embrace social development and self-sufficiency, and it pursues these principles by working to improve public health and education, alleviate poverty, eliminate hunger and help the disabled. For over 40 years, The Nippon Foundation has given more than US$125.5 million towards the enhancement of safety, security and environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

For further information, please contact: THE NIPPON FOUNDATION
Patrick Orr – [email protected] / Tel: +44 (0)20 7630 9778 / Mob: +44 (0)7909 534430, or;

Mitsuyuki Unno – [email protected] / Tomoyasu Izaki – [email protected]