Coronavirus: IMO closes HQ building, postpones meetings

Image: International Maritime Organization

IMO’s headquarters building in London was closed to visitors and staff today, and will be closed tomorrow, as a precautionary measure due to the coronavirus outbreak.

This follows the March 11 assessment by the World Health Organization (WHO) that COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, can be characterized as a pandemic.

The IMO Secretariat has been closely monitoring developments of the impact of COVID-19 at local and global levels and has followed advice provided by WHO and the Government of the United Kingdom (the host government).

Taking into account the rapid increase of cases worldwide and the continuing difficulties for some delegates from IMO Member States traveling from abroad to attend IMO meetings, the following meetings are now postponed:

• the 7th meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, scheduled to take place from March 23 to 27, 2020;
• the 33rd meeting of the E&T Group (IMSBC), scheduled to take place from March 23 to 27, 2020;
• the 75th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), scheduled to take place from March 30 to April 3, 2020.

These postponements follow two that had been announced earlier:

• the meeting of the Scientific Group of the London Convention and London Protocol scheduled to take place from March 9 to 13, 2020;
• the 107th session of the Legal Committee, scheduled to take place from March 16 to 20, 2020.