Maritime relief fund aids tsunami reconstruction

IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos has given UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan a cheque for Sterling Pounds 86,580, which represents the cash donations to date to the Tsunami Maritime Relief Fund that was inaugurated by IMO in the wake of the 2004 Boxing Day disaster. Annan, received the cheque during the recent meeting of the UN Chief Executives Board in Switzerland on April 9.

Mitropoulos has requested that the donation be passed on to the Office of President Clinton, who has been appointed as Special Envoy of the United Nations' Secretary-General for Tsunami-Affected Countries to mobilise continued support for the reconstruction phase.

In particular, he requested that the money from the Tsunami Maritime Relief Fund be used specifically for the restoration of the maritime infrastructure and also to support the reconstruction of the fishing industry in the region affected.

The Fund was established in order to co-ordinate the maritime community's wider response to the UN's immediate efforts. Contributions have come in from the shipping industry, the IMO staff and individuals and the Fund remains open to provide assistance for the longer term task of capacity building in the affected maritime communities.