Anti-corruption non-profit organisation Transparency International is undertaking an assessment of International Maritime Organisation (IMO) governance, transparency and accountability performance.

Transparency International closed a tender last week for a consultancy position on the project, due to start immediately and to run through 1 March 2018.

“By analysing IMO’s governance framework, the assessment report seeks to point to any potential governance policy and practices challenges and to provide clear recommendations for improvement and thereby supporting the development of an effective IMO strategy. In the longer term, these recommendations aim to make the IMO governance well equipped against different forms of corruption (including undue influence),” the tender document said.

The purpose of the report is to assess IMO’s governance framework “in order to contribute to the positive development and strengthening of the IMO to support effective achievement of its objectives in mitigating the ship impacts on climate change,” according to Transparency International.

IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is set to convene in April 2018 where it is expected the group will adopt a draft strategy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping.

Controversy erupted around the IMO’s intersessional working group on greenhouse gas emissions (ISWG-GHG) in late October after the release of a provocative report from UK-based non-profit InfluenceMap entitled Corporate capture of the IMO, claiming International Chamber of Shipping, BIMCO and others had stymied climate action within IMO.

In response, industry groups dismissed the allegations and detailed the objectives they proposed be adopted as part of IMO strategy for greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

The first is to maintain international shipping’s annual total CO₂ emissions below 2008 levels, the second is to reduce average CO₂ emissions per tonne-km by at least 50% by 2020, compared to 2008 levels and the third is to reduce international shipping’s total annual CO₂ emissions by 2050 as compared to 2008 levels, “as a point on a continuing trajectory of CO₂ emissions reduction”.

Greenhouse gas reduction measures in the draft were divided into short-, medium- and long-term measures with corresponding deadlines for adoption by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).

Short-term measures are those finalised and agreed by MEPC between 2018 and 2023, mid-term measures between 2023-2030 and long-term measures relate to reduction regulations adopted post-2030.