Results

Stakeholders’ participation at the IMO marine environmental protection committee

Journal: Marine Policy

Abstract:

This paper analyses the determinants of participation of stakeholders in Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization using information on 2669 proposals to 28 MEPC meetings (2002–2019). Our statistical analysis stresses that proposals were submitted by 117 different Members States and by 75 Intergovernmental and Non-Governmental Organizations. Proposals from Member States are by rich countries, with a vested interest in international trade and with a high political accountability. Countries that are both vulnerable to climate change and have less adaptive capacity to cope with climate change impacts are less active, unless they are large ownership countries. Out of the 15 Intergovernmental and 60 Non-Governmental Organizations that submitted proposals at Marine Environmental Protection Committee, shipowners’ interests (40%) and shipping-related associations (27%) represent the majority of all Intergovernmental and Non-Governmental Organization submissions. Finally, when Member States cooperate with Non-Governmental Organizations (4% of all proposals), they tend to collaborate with shipowners’ interest associations. Our findings confirm the large participation of a handful of countries in the first stage of the decision-making process at International Maritime Organization, while highlighting the lack of diversity in the profile of participants. International Maritime Organization should encourage a wider participation of vulnerable countries with less adaptive capacity to cope with climate change impacts and Non-Governmental Organizations to counterbalance the strong participation of large shipping nations and industry representatives.