Global Ballast Water Management Project

GloBallast Advanced, A programmatic framework for the sustainable continuity of the Global Ballast Water Management Project- Building regional partnership for the effective implementation of international arrangements for ballast water control and management in developing countries

Main objectives of the Partnership/Initiative

The ultimate goal of this Initiative is to assist developing countries to reduce the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in ships' ballast water and to establish regional, integrated strategies to address the threat posed by invasive marine species.

This initiative is a logical extension of the initial project 'Global Ballast Water Management' (GloBallast) executed by IMO since March 2000 and will have a greater regional focus and more emphasis on integrated ocean and coastal zone management.

The development objectives of the Initiative can be summarized as follows:

* To build regional partnership towards effective implementation of global regulations on ballast water management and control;

* To develop and implement national and regional, integrated invasive marine species strategies and action plans; and

* To integrate regional ballast water and invasive marine species programmes with other marine and coastal environmental management arrangements.

This Initiative provides a framework to accomplish the above objectives ensuring that maximum benefits accrue from the foundation work achieved since March 2000