These measures include movement restrictions, partial closure or closure of schools and businesses, quarantine in specific geographic areas and international travel restrictions.
As the specialized agency for shipping of the United Nations, IMO has closely followed the recommendations of the WHO and the measures instated by the UK Government to protect its Member States, the staff and its technical cooperation partners. Consequently, the MEPSEAS Project work plan was reviewed in light of the impact of Covid-19 and, in close coordination with Norad, the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) decided to consult the participating countries on the possibility of introducing a ‘remote-operating mode’ to replace the face-to-face meetings and other practical activities severely restricted by the pandemic.
From 28 May to 16 July 2020, online consultations were organized with all the MEPSEAS countries to assess the risks posed by the pandemic and identify ways to mitigate such risks and move ahead with the implementation of the project. As some of the activities, particularly those involving face-to-face meetings and field missions, had to be put on hold and as moving to online activities would clearly take additional time, the participating countries were also consulted on the possibility of a no-cost extension of the project by one year, until 31 December 2022.
During the consultations detailed reviews of the indicators and various targets contained in the Project’s Logical Framework were conducted and the countries were encouraged to report on their progress in implementing the project and on the impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on the implementation process. The participating countries were presented with proposals to move from the traditional way of delivering technical cooperation through face-to-face seminars and workshops to online communication, webinars and other virtual methods for training and capacity building.
In spite of the challenges faced by each participating country, the response was overwhelmingly positive and the countries agreed unanimously to continue the implementation process and to make every effort to maintain the momentum created during the first two years of the Project. All the MEPSEAS countries reiterated their commitment to the aims and objectives of the project and supported the extension until 31 December 2022. As a result of the determination of the participating countries, IMO and Norad concluded an Addendum to the original Project Document to extend the duration by one year and encourage the participants to start implementing the ‘remote-operating mode’.