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A Step Towards Sustainable CooperationWMU Sasakawa Fellows’ Network Meeting in London

The WMU Sasakawa Fellows’ Network“Strengthen the Sasakawa Fellows’Meeting of East Europe, the Middle East N e t w o r k ” . Th e s e s s i o n s t a r t e d w i t h
and North Africa was held in London from self-introductions, followed by a briefing on
January 28 to Feb rua r y 1 , 2 0 1 8 , a nd the upcoming program. The session continued
consisted of 18 Fellows from Albania, for about an hour with a detailed explanation
A l g e r i a , A z e r b a i j a n , E g y p t , L a t v i a , of the agenda and events by SPF team.
Lithuania, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey
Following this, the group moved to aand Ukraine, in addition to 4 UK residential welcome reception, where a welcome speech
Fellows from Brazil, Egypt, Lithuania and was given by Mr. Akita. UK resident
Japan. The proceedings were prepared and Sasakawa Fellows Mr. Jun Sun, Technicaladministered by Mr. Shinichi Ichikawa, Mr. Officer, Marine Environment Division of
Tsutomu Akita and Mr. Atsushi Kato from IMO (China, 2005), Mr. Xiao Dong, Firstthe Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), as Secretary (Maritime) of the Chinese Embassy
well as Ms. Susan Jackson, the registrar of in the UK (China, 2005) and Mr. Aji
WMU.
Vasudevan, Member State Audit Officer,
The Fellows were delighted to see each Department for Member State of IMO
other when they met in the pre-meeting （India, 2010), and Professor and Mrs.
session on the evening of January 28. Old Hikima, appeared at the reception. The
friendships were revived and new friendships Fellows were very pleased with the delightful
made among the different generations of atmosphere and enjoyed talking with each
Sasakawa Fellows. Certainly that is one of other.
the main objectives of the meeting:
On Monday, January 29, the program ofthe meeting started with a welcome speechfrom Ms. Sandra Rita Allnutt, Head ofMarine Technology and GBS, of IMO(Brazil, 1999), followed by a presentation on
the enhancement of the WMU Sasakawa
Fellows’ Network presented by Mr. Kato,
who has outlined the support of The Nippon
Foundation/Sasakawa Peace Foundation in
the provisions of WMU Sasakawa
Fellowship Networking.
The Fellows were then divided into 4groups to discuss possible ways to enhance
the mechanism of working together andmanaging the network in the future. Eachgroup had its own agenda topic covering thefollowing:
1.Procedures to becoming a candidate andbenefits of being a Sasakawa Fellow
2.Mutual Communication byinternet/website utilization
3. Friend of WMU, Japan newsletter
4. Expansion of the network

Highly motivated Fellows worked on theabove agenda until late, even up to the earlymorning, and reports were submitted andpresented on the next day. Innumerable
suggestions came out of the groups to maket h e n e t w o r k m o r e a c t i v e a n d fi r m l yestablished, including:
1. Sharing information about their careers,which could be a good reference point
for the Fellows as well as futureapplicants to seek a certain expertise andexperience in the network.
2. Establishing an association to carry out
missions related to different maritime
issues and social activities.
3. Establishing groups in social media
such as LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitterand linking to the WMU Sasakawa
Fellows’ website. A method of
notification of members’ updates shouldbe created through smart
phones/desktop applications.
4. Suggesting that the Friends of WMU,
Japan newsletter could be scientificallyoriented in addition to being social, toallow Fellows to publish their scientificwork and projects.
5. Participating in IMO meetings as a
Non-Governmental Organization(NGO).
On Tuesday, January 30, the program
began with an update on current
developments at WMU by Ms. Susan
Jackson, who emphasized its mission
towards building a legacy of global
leadership in maritime education, research,training and capacity building. She thenoutlined the WMU master programmes inMalmö, Dalian and Shanghai, and PhD
programmes in the following research areas:
1. Marine environment research
2. Maritime administration law, policy andsecurity

3. Maritime education & training, humanand organizational development(METHOD)
4. Maritime energy research group(MarEner)
5. Maritime risk and system safety(Mar/Sa)
6. Shipping and port management
Ms. Jackson then spoke about distancelearning programmes, executive educationand professional development courses andconferences, as well as current research
projects & consultancies. She thanked The
Nippon Foundation and the Sasakawa Peacefoundation for their continuous support of
WMU.
Since a number of Fellows had raised theimportant issue of certain countries
recognizing degrees offered by WMU, Ms.
Jackson reported that the university iscurrently working on getting recognition by
the Swedish government, which will
facilitate the same in other countries.
The meeting then moved on to “Fellow
presentations on current maritime issues”,
where a wide variety of issues were addressedcovering different aspects of the maritime
industry, including Safety, Education andTraining, Port and Shipping Management,
Maritime Law, and Human Element in2

Maritime Industry, as well as Fisheries
and Aquaculture. Issues were discussed on
local and international levels, and interesting
perspectives were shared by each country,
highlighting both common areas of interestand specific national differences.
The presentations and abundant debates
on maritime issues continued till theevening, followed by presentations of reports
on each agenda item on ways to enhance themechanism of working together andmanaging the WMU Sasakawa Fellows’
Networking in the future.
The following day, the Fellows moved to
the IMO building, where they were met by
Mr. Berty Nanya, External Relations Officer
of IMO, who gave an extensive briefing on
the different divisions of the organizationand their working mechanism in developing
international treaties and other legislations.
He also elucidated about the internshipprogram at IMO.
In the meeting room, the Fellows listened
to lectures on maritime issues by Mr.
Frederick Kenney, Director of Legal Affairs,
External Relations Division, and Mr. Milhar
Fuazudeen, former Head of the Maritime
Training and Human Element Section.
Deep discussions followed on the current
challenges in the implantation process ofmany IMO conventions and otheri n s t r u m e n t s , d u e t o c o n fl i c t s w i t hdomestic legal systems in many Member
States. The STCW Convention was the
keystone subject addressed by Mr.
Fuazudeen, and queries concerning mutual
recognition requirements of STCW wereraised and were intensely discussed andclarified by Mr. Fuazudeen. The Fellows
were delighted to have had the opportunity
to meet and discuss maritime issues withthese IMO experts.
Lunch at the cafeteria allowed many
Fellows the chance to see their countrymen
and women working at the Organization,and they enjoyed buying IMO souvenirs at
the gift shop before moving to the main hallwhere they met and had a photo session with
Mr. Kitack Lim, the first WMU graduate tohold the office of IMO Secretary-General.
The Fellows were very honored, delighted
and indeed inspired that Mr. Lim has risen
to assume such an important function in themaritime community.
The rest of the afternoon was spent on ac r u i s e b o a t a l o n g t h e Th a m e s R i v e r ,exploring the picturesque scenes of London:
Big Ben, the Imperial War Museum,London Eye, Parliament and others. The
fourth day ended with a farewell reception
aboard the Tattershall Castle floating Pub
and Restaurant.

Guests from IMO and UK-based Japanesemaritime entities came to the farewell
reception and enjoyed the evening’s
sumptuous banquet. The program started
with speeches by the guests who expressed
their appreciation and pleasure at being
invited to spend the evening with theFellows. Business cards were exchanged, andmany fruitful discussions took place.
The most senior Fellow of the group, Mr.
Robertinas Tarasevicius (Lithuania, 1999),
gave a speech expressing their gratitude to
the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Mr.
Yohei Sasakawa for the very generous
hosting and invaluable events offered. The
farewell reception ended four informativeand delightful days, with fond goodbyes saidby all.
This network meeting reminded us how
unique the WMU Sasakawa scholarship is,in that it doesn’t end when students
graduate. Many thanks to The Nippon
Foundation, the Sasakawa Peace
Foundation, and special thanks to Mr.
Sasakawa for everything he and hisorganizations have done to make all of us
more effective members of the international
maritime community.
Ehab Ibrahim Othman(Egypt, 2004)

Albania

List of Fellows

Ermal Xhelilaj

Algeria

Mohamed Taalbi

Azerbaijan

Aynur Maharramova

Egypt

MSEA 2014
MSEA 2017

Ehab Ibrahim Othman

MET 2004

Amr Moneer Ibrahim

MET 2013

Mohamed Nabil Elnabawi A. Bahriz PM 2015
Hossameldin Bakr Mohamed

PM 2016

Mohamed Shawki El Khadrawi

MLP 2017

LatviaAnete Logina

Lithuania

MLP 2009

Robertinas Tarasevicius

MSEPA 1999

Andrius Daujotas

PM 2005

Malta

Mark Philip Cassar

Morocco

MEM 2017

Nabil Anwari

MA 2005

Fatima Zahra El Marzouki

MLP 2016

Tunisia

Chihebeddine Badir

TurkeyOzlem Mulun Akpinar

UkraineMSEA 2015
MLP 2007

Anna Rabotnova

SPM 2012

Igor Pishenin

MET 2013

UK Resident Fellows
BrazilSandra Rita Allnutt

Egypt

Mohab Mohamoud Abou-Elkawam

Japan

Yasuhiro Urano

Lithuania

Nadezda Kovtunova

3

MLP 2008

MSEP 1999
MSEP 2003
MSEA 2012
MP 2002

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute Inauguration and
Global Ocean Conference 2018
Maia Brindley Nilsson (Communications Officer, WMU)

The WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institutewas officially inaugurated on May 8, 2018 and was
followed by the WMU Global Ocean Conference
that brought together over 240 participants from
more than 50 countries. The outcomes of the conference will inform the priorities for the newly
inaugurated Global Ocean Institute, as well as
strategies to ensure active engagement by stakeholders with the new Institute.
The Global Ocean Institute is founded on thevision to bring to life a convergence platform
where policy makers, the scientific community,
regulators, industry actors, academics, and representatives of civil society can meet to discuss how
best to manage and use ocean spaces and theirresources for the sustainable development of present and future generations. Established in partnership with The Nippon Foundation and with generous support from the Governments of Canada,
Sweden and the City of Malmö, the Institute willcomplement the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) current and future engagement in
the broader sphere of ocean governance.
The official ribbon cutting for the Institute,which is located next to the WMU headquarters,
was done by Mr. Kitack Lim, IMO Secretary-General and WMU Chancellor, Ms. Isabella
Lövin, Minister for International Development
Cooperation and Climate, and Deputy Prime
Minister of Sweden, Dr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, and Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President of the World
Maritime University.
In his inauguration remarks, Dr. Sasakawa
acknowledged the global impact of WMU inmaritime and oceans capacity building, particularly
in developing countries. “The Nippon Foundation
has been a long-standing supporter of the maritime industry working to achieve a sustainableocean that we can pass on to the next generation.
To date, The Nippon Foundation has granted
fellowships to over 600 students from more than
70 countries and the holders of The Nippon
Foundation Professional Chairs have educatedthousands of WMU alumni,” he said. “We arepleased to see that WMU is continuing toadvance its mission, establishing itself as an educational and research institution that can address
ocean issues not only from the perspective of themaritime industry but also most importantly today,
in support of the long-term sustainability of our
Oceans.”Following the inauguration of the Global Ocean
Institute, President Doumbia-Henry opened theWMU Global Ocean Conference noting theimportant role the Institute will play in bringing
together key stakeholders to determine ways
forward in the sustainable management and use ofocean spaces. She stated, “The ocean is humanity’s
most precious resource and its lifeblood. Shipping
and the ocean are inseparable with over 80% ofworld trade carried by sea. It is essential that we
protect and restore the ocean through science, datacollection, education, capacity-building and international cooperation. Through the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, WMU will also build
important bridges between maritime and ocean
fields.”In his welcome remarks for the conference, Mr.
Mitsuyuki Unno, Executive Director of The
Nippon Foundation, commended the University
for establishing the Institute to tackle the complex
challenge of the evolving world of maritime andocean governance. “The oceans are in crisis and wemust act immediately and decisively. In maritime
and ocean governance, such actions must involve
partners beyond the maritime sector, encompass
long-term perspective, and have sustainability attheir core,” he stated.

4

Discussions focused on building transformative
partnerships for ocean sustainability and improving ocean governance generally. Opportunities
and challenges were identified within the themesof Ocean Economy, Science & Technology, UN
System Bodies, Ocean Industry, Regional andNational Issues, and Civil Society. Representativesof international organizations, governments, oceanindustries, research communities, civil society andacademic institutions contributed to the discussions. Contemporary and emerging threats andissues faced by the world’s oceans and marine
sectors were addressed as well as ways to build
transformative partnerships to deliver theocean-related goals under the UN 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development.
At the UN Ocean Conference in June last year,
WMU registered a commitment that aims to contribute to the implementation of Goal 14 by training a new generation of maritime leaders throughthe delivery of specialist post-graduate educational
programmes in Ocean Sustainability, Governanceand Management, as well as through cutting-edge
oceans research, among others. The Global Ocean
Institute and the WMU Global Ocean Conference 2018 are concrete responses to that commitment. The Institute’s impact-oriented research will
work across the sectoral divides in ocean affairs,
engage in forward-looking dialogue among representatives of governments, ocean industries,
research communities, civil society and academic
institutions, and produce policy and regulatory
advice on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development and beyond.

Thoughts on Automated Ships Prior to MSC 99
Yuji Okugawa
Junior Professional Officer
Subdivision for Maritime Security and Facilitation,
Maritime Safety Division, IMO

I have been working with the Maritime
Safety Division (MSD) of the International
Maritime Organization (IMO) since April
2018. In my previous position, I was in chargeof projects concerning systems for Maritime
Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) at theJapan Ship Technology Research Association(JSTRA). After taking up my present position
at IMO, I had the good fortune to be assigned
to support discussion on MASS as the MASS
Task Force.
As of mid-April, the momentum of ouractivities at MSD has been gradually building
as we prepare for the Maritime Safety Committee’s 99th session (MSC 99) on May 17,
2018. In this article, I would like to introduce
you to MASS based on my own experience.
This is an area likely to attract attention alongwith GHG in IMO discussions as well.
To begin, let me briefly review previous
discussions on MASS at IMO. At MSC 98 in2017, a resolution was passed to implement “aframework for a regulatory scoping exercise forthe use of Maritime Autonomous Surface
Ships (MASS).” IMO aims to complete asummary of discussion issues by 2020. Basedon this, discussions on MASS will proceed at
MSC 99 under Agenda Item 5: Summary ofissues in MASS. There are as many as 19 written proposals (six of which are information
documents) concerning this agenda item, andwe can expect robust discussions to take place.
The above is my brief review.
To take initiative in the discussions concerning MASS and to achieve its commercialization, in 2017 the Japan Ship Technology
Research Association established a collaborative comprehensive review framework including industry, government and academia inregard to three points: the system, businessmodel, and technological development. In
particular, in the review group on the system,
where I was previously in charge of the secretariat, we identified issues in relation to thesystem and mechanisms for achieving MASS,
as well as IMO rules requiring revision in
FY2017. During this yearlong review, many
opinions were expressed about the need for areview focused on domestic systems, responsibility and security and I became keenly awareof the extent to which MASS was attracting
attention and that the discussion was widening.
In the meantime, the IMO secretariat estab-lished a MASS Task Force within the secretariat, and put in place a cross-sectoral review
framework. With the understanding that
discussions should focus on MSC, the Task
Force was placed within the Maritime Safety
Division. To promote the smooth identificationof issues for MASS, the secretariat is giving
priority mainly to the following items, but theseare simply based on views of the secretariat.
1. To avoid repetition in discussions, theyshould be based on a clear framework
2. There should be a shared understanding
regarding the level of autonomy and terminology
3. Grouping on regulations concerning
MASS (Is revision unnecessary, is a revision review necessary? In which committees should discussion and execution takeplace?)
4. Efforts should proceed in cooperation withcommittees other than MSC (a structure
for this should also be considered)
I believe that the above priority items, particularly the “level of autonomy and terminology” in
2 and “grouping” in 3 will require time fordeliberation. The discussion of matters such as
terminology and definition will form the basis
for future discussions and, at the IMO conference where many members with extensive
knowledge and good oratorical skills will bepresent, I believe heated debate will be unavoidable.

5

Furthermore, as a premise for 3 above, I
believe it is necessary to confirm whether
member countries and organizations have acommon interpretation regarding existing
rules. If we start checking the interpretation ofeach and every related rule, however, it willtake a tremendous amount of time and will
inhibit prompt discussion. I believe that wemust steadily proceed with discussions to avoid
having to return to the starting point.
It is very difficult to achieve a balance, anddiscussion coupled with the expectations of theindividual members may make matters more
complicated. On the other hand, it can also be
said that these difficulties and complexities are
the true charm of a multi conference. I must
highlight that the discussion about MASS does
not stem from an accident but is prompted by
the development of technology and, therefore,
can be thought of as forward-looking discussion. With expectations that the outcome ofdeliberations will be a plus for the maritime
industry in the long term, I am determined tomake every effort as a member of the IMO
secretariat.
As my final point, I would like to mention
the marketing term “critical mass.” While you
are having a conversation about the importanceof maritime autonomous surface ships, why not
use the term “critical mass” in a play on words
with this marketing term. It should go down
very well. Why not give it a try?

The Cape Town Agreement on the Safety of Fishers and Fishing Vessels

Sandra Rita Allnutt(Brazil, 1999)

Background
The Cape Town Agreement of 2012 on the
Implementation of the Provisions of theTorremolinos Protocol of 1993 relating to theTorremolinos International Convention for the
Safety of Fishing Vessels, 1977 (the Agreement)
was adopted by the International Conference on
the Safety of Fishing Vessels, held from October
9-11, 2012, in Cape Town, South Africa, as theresult of strenuous work and intensive discussions
over a five-year period.
The safety of fishers and fishing vessels forms
an integral part of IMO’s mandate. However, thefishing industry, from a global perspective, does
not have an acceptable safety record; and, while
there may be a number of factors that havecontributed to this, there can be no doubt that thelack of an effective internationally binding
regulatory regime has played a significant part in
the status quo. In this context, neither the
Torremolinos International Convention for the
Safety of Fishing Vessels, adopted in 1977, nor
the Torremolinos Protocol, adopted in 1993,
entered into force due to a variety of technical andlegal constraints. The Agreement was a renewed
commitment for the provisions of the 1993
Torremolinos Protocol to come into force and is
expected to play an important part in improving
safety standards and reducing loss of life in thefisheries sector.
In accordance with IHS Maritime and Tradestatistics, the current annual fatality rate for ships'
crews (excluding fishing vessels) is about six
fatalities per 100 million work hours. This is 10
times the Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD)average rate for all industries. In this connection,
it can be estimated that this rate is presumably
higher for fishing vessels. It should be noted thatthe statistics on fatalities provided by relevant
databases may be accurate for cargo and passenger
ships, but they are very inaccurate for fishingvessels.
In light of the above, the entering into force of
the Agreement is vital to give fishers the same
safety level that seafarers have. There areapproximately 1.4 million seafarers who enjoy theprotection given by enforceable international
instruments. Comparatively, there are 24 million
fishers, with an estimated 24,000*1 lives lost eachyear, without any internationally binding
instrument to ensure their safety.

Linkage between safety, protection
against pollution of the marine
environment and Illegal, Unreported andUnregulated (IUU)
At the third session of the Joint FAO/IMO Ad
Hoc Working Group on Illegal, Unreported andUnregulated (IUU) Fishing and Related Matters(JWG), held at IMO Headquarters from
November 16-18, 2015, it was noted that there is alinkage between safety, the protection against
pollution of the marine environment (i.e. fishinggear as marine debris) and IUU fishing. This
linkage can be distinguished and enhanced so thatthe sector can mutually benefit from the
management of fisheries at the level of the Foodand Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), and the management andimplementation of safety and protection of themarine environment policies, together with thetraining of fishing vessel personnel, at the level of
IMO.
The estimated global cost of IUU fishing is$10-23.5 billion annually, with developing States
being the most susceptible. Among other impacts,
IUU fishing undermines the sustainable
management of fisheries, promotes unfair market
competition to sustainable seafood and threatens
food security and socio-economic stability in many
parts of the world by reducing the productivity oflegitimate fisheries, including subsistence andartisanal fisheries in coastal areas.
It has been recognized (FISH-i Africa Task
Force) that the entering into force of theAgreement could help countries to combat illegal
fishing, reduce modern slavery on board fishingvessels and improve the overall level of safety
within the fisheries industry. It should be notedthat if a vessel is fishing illegally, it is likely to becommitting other violations, including thoserelating to safety.
International Conference on the Safety of
Fishing Vessels – Resolution 3
Having adopted the Agreement, theInternational Conference on the Safety of Fishing
Vessels adopted Conference Resolution 3 on
Promotion of technical cooperation and provisionof technical assistance, requesting IMO tointensify its efforts to provide States with theassistance they may need in implementing theAgreement.
In the context of the above, IMO organized aseries of regional/sub-regional seminars on thesubject to explain what the Cape Town
Agreement is, why it is important, how it can be
implemented into national legislation and what thenext steps are for a Party to the Agreement. The
latest seminar was the Cape Town Regional
Seminar (October 2017), which was attended byparticipants from 10 countries in the Africa
Anglophone region. It followed similar events,organized by IMO in cooperation with FAO,
including, in the Cook Islands (August 2017) for
10 countries in the Pacific region; in Côte d’Ivoire

6(December 2016) for 12 countries from theAfrica Francophone region; in Indonesia (April2015) for 11 countries from the East Asia region;in Belize (October 2014) for 13 countries in the
Caribbean; and in Peru (June 2014) for 12
countries in Latin America.
Future seminars are planned to be held in
further region(s) during 2018.
Th e A g r e e m e n t h a s b e e n g i v e n e x t r a
momentum by the entry into force of related
treaties under FAO and the International Labour
Organization (ILO). FAO’s Agreement on Port
State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing(PSMA), 2009, entered into force on June 5,2016. It seeks to prevent, deter and eliminate
IUU fishing through the adoption andimplementation of effective port State measures.
ILO’s Work in Fishing Convention, 2007
(Convention No. 188) entered into force on
November 16, 2017. It sets minimum
requirements for work on board fishing vessels
including hours of rest, food, minimum age andrepatriation.
The work done to promote the Agreement andother activities to improve safety andsustainability in the fishing sector and fight IUU
fishing is also being supported by international
governmental and non-governmentalorganizations. These include the General
Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean(GFCM), the North East Atlantic FisheriesCommission (NEAFC), the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD), the Institute of Marine Engineering,
Science and Technology (IMarEST), theInternational Transport Workers Federation(ITF), the Pew Charitable Trusts, the World
Animal Protection and the World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF).
The Agreement will enter into force 12 months
after the date on which not less than 22 States
have expressed their consent to be bound by it,these States having an aggregate of not less than
3,600 fishing vessels of 24m in length and over
operating on the high seas. To date, ten countries
have ratified the Cape Town Agreement:
Belgium, Congo, Denmark, France, Germany,
Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa and
St. Kitts and Nevis. Between them, they have an
aggregate of 1,020 fishing vessels of 24m in
length and over operating on the high seas.
We are seeing increasing commitment from anumber of IMO Member States as well as fromregional organizations and international
governmental and non-governmentalorganizations to promote the Agreement andother measures to make fishing a safer and moresustainable industry. This is something to bewelcomed for the millions of people worldwide
who work in the fishing sector.
-------*1

This estimative figure has been provided by ILO.

Some Proud Sasakawa Fellows
Srey Sokhdara (Cambodia, 2016)

Our respected father, Dr. Yohei Sasakawa,
Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, visited
Cambodia to attend the “Handover Ceremony”
of new English material for the lower secondaryof Cambodia on April 5, 2018.
At the ceremony, Dr. Sasakawa also received
the Royal Order of Monisaraphon by Dr. Hang
Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth andSport of Cambodia for his contributions to thecountry over many years and, in particular, for his
commitment to supporting the development ofEnglish education in Cambodia.
On the occasion of his visit, the Cambodian
WMU Sasakawa Fellows’ Gathering was held on
April 6, at the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeetra
Hotel, with an objective to give opportunities for
Cambodian WMU Sasakawa Fellows to get toknow each other even more and at the same time
to meet Dr. Sasakawa. Seven Cambodian Fellows
currently working at the Ministry of Public
Works and Transport and the Ministry of theEnvironment attended this event.
In his opening speech, Dr. Sasakawa waspleased to welcome the Fellows and was glad tomeet them in Cambodia. He was especially
happy to see that most of them have beenworking in the government, and to know thatthose who received a scholarship from the
Sasakawa Peace Foundation returned to theircountry to contribute to the development of the
Maritime Sector. Dr. Sasakawa hoped that theywould work even harder to bring this sector to aneven higher level.
In a following speech, H.E. Chan Dara,
Director General of the General Department of
Waterway-Maritime Transport and Ports, as arepresentative of Cambodian WMU Sasakawa
Fellows, welcomed Dr. Sasakawa and the staff of
The Nippon Foundation to our country. He
stressed the friendship between the governments
and people of Japan and Cambodia for many
decades and the priceless benefits that The Nippon
Foundation has provided to Cambodian Fellows.
Most of them working for the government havebeen promoted to different positions, mainly
because of the specific knowledge they gained
from WMU, which has given them a strong
foundation in the work that they are doing. At
the end of his speech, Chan Dara stressed that
his gratitude towards the Foundation would
remain forever and be passed on to the next
generation. He confirmed that the Cambodian
WMU Sasakawa Fellows will commit themselvesto the development of the Maritime Sector in
Cambodia.
The participants enjoyed chatting with one
another and taking memorable pictures while
food and drinks were being served, until thegathering ended at 8:30pm.

WMU Sasakawa Fellows’ Meeting on
ASEAN-Japan Cruise Promotion Strategy (AJCPS)

Sonia B. Malaluan (Philippines, 1998)

The 6th Experts Group Meeting on ASEAN-Japan Cruise Promotion Strategy was hosted andchaired by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism of Japan. Delegates from thetourism department and maritime administration of
the ASEAN Member States gathered together toshare information, initiatives and progress on the
promotion of cruise tourism on March 23, 2018, atthe Hotel Metropolitan Edmont, Tokyo, Japan.
Mr. Srey Sokhdara (Cambodia, 2016) from thePort Administration Department of Cambodia
presented data on tourists and passenger ports in
Cambodia, as well as the number of cruise ships
and passengers in the two international ports,
Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh. Cruise promotion strategies in Cambodia include the modernization of cruise terminals, diversification ofservices in ports, and improvement of current
destinations as well as the creation of new ones.
Other strategies cover safety and security as well
as ship clearance procedures.

Mr. Nguyen Hai Nam (Vietnam, 2003), Director,
Maritime Administration of Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam, also presented statistics on foreign tourists
and the policies being implemented to attract morepassengers. Recent approaches include the improvement of port infrastructure and transportation, andinviting investors for development-integrated projects in passenger terminals. They are also undertaking research in cruise tourists and training humanresources. Initiatives to promote tourism are visa
exemptions for South Korea, Japan and ASEAN
members, extended visa-free for travelers from
Europe, an e-visa system for tourists from 46 countries, and reduced visa fee and port dues for cruise
tourists.
The Philippines likewise made a presentation on
how cruise tourism in their country has grown in thelast 6 years, both in terms of port calls and number of
cruise tourists. The National Cruise Tourism Strategy(NCTS) includes, among others, programs to makethe Philippines cruise-friendly and cruise-ready,creating incentives and building
awareness and acceptancethrough consultation withservice providers and customers.
The NTCS provides direction
to both the government andprivate sector towards increasing
cruise ship calls, creating excellent guest experiences, increasing economic benefits andpromoting sustainable tourism.

7

Also included in the report are government initiatives in terms of policies and infrastructure projects.
All other ASEAN Member State representatives
made their country presentations. Japan shared thecurrent state of the cruise market there, improvements needed to promote the market and otherfuture approaches. One future action will be thegathering of cruise information for posting in the
ASEAN JAPAN Transport Partnership website.
Delegates agreed to provide information after
receiving the template of what should be posted.
The meeting concluded with a port and ship visit
at the Port of Yokohama and on board the cruise
ship “Asuka II”.
The visit to Japan would not be complete without meeting our friends from the Sasakawa Peace
Foundation. Indeed, it was a very happy occasion
to be given the opportunity to meet Mr. Kudo,
Mr. Akita, Mr. Ichikawa, and other WMU graduates. We always enjoy seeing our “extended
family” in Japan. Once again, domo arigato!

A Sasakawa Fellow Appointed as New Philippine Coast Guard Commandant
In a letter of appointment signed on January 4, 2018, by the President
and transmitted to Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur P
Tugade, Admiral Elson E Hermogino was designated to steer thecountry’s leading maritime law enforcement organization.
Born in San Carlos City, Pangasinan and raised in the Science City of
Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Admiral Hermogino began his military career in1981 when he entered the Philippine Military Academy and graduated asa proud member of the prestigious “Sandiwa” Class of 1985.
His passion for learning enabled him to successfully complete his post
graduate studies at the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden,
and earned the degree of Master in Maritime Administration in 1996
(Sasakawa Fellow).
Prior to his appointment as Commandant, Admiral Hermogino
became the Station Commander of various PCG stations and eventuallybecame the Commander of Coast Guard districts in Bicol, Northern
Mindanao and Southern Tagalog in Batangas, and CGDNCR-CL in an
acting capacity. He was also entrusted with positions and commanded
major units of the PCG, such as the MEPCOM, Coast Guard Fleet,and Maritime Safety Services Command.
He successfully earned the most coveted Command-at-Sea Badge as hecommanded three Coast Guard
search and rescue vessels, which
are the primary ships for
operations of the PCG, and sevenother vessels during his service in
the Philippine Navy.
His dedication to service hasb e e n r e fl e c t e d t h r o u g h h i s
remarkable achievements andnumerous awards received
throughout his career. Amongthese are: Coast Guard Legion of Honor and Ribbon (Degree ofMaginoo), Coast Guard Outstanding Achievement Medal and Ribbon,
Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal and Ribbon, Coast Guard
Gawad sa Kaunlaran Medal, Coast Guard Merit Medal, Coast Guard
Commendation Medal, Coast Guard Search and Rescue Medal, Long
Service Medal, Coast Guard Visayan Campaign Medal & Ribbon, andCoast Guard Civic Action Medal.
Admiral Hermogino is a dedicated husband to his wife, Rutchel, and aloving father to his three children, Reiner John, Renson and Reizels.

New Member to the Family
Wynchester C. Florentino (Philippines, 2016)

Greetings to all from my family!
Many fathers’ desire is to have a son in the family, as did I. Last January 21, 2018 at exactly 2:21 in themorning, almost 14 months after graduating from WMU, my dream of having a son at last came true when
my wife Jennifer gave birth to our third child, a healthy cute baby boy, joining our girls, Wynnona Yzabelle,
9 years old, and Jenine Beatrice, 5 years old. Both of them are equally active in their academics and sports
activities.
Since having a son in the family has been our dream, my wife and I decided to name him Mikko, whichmeans a “Gift from God”. In our heart, he is indeed God’s gift. I can still recall that wonderful moment andthe feeling of excitement when he was brought to me and laid into my arms for the first time. There andthen I felt the feeling of gratefulness, love and joy. Here then, I may say that having three lovely girls andone handsome boy in the family makes my life complete.
Lastly, my deepest gratitude, as always, to the Sasakawa Peace Foundation for the opportunity tocontribute in my simplest way to the SPF newsletter. More power SPF!

It is a great pleasure to be asked to contribute the Editor’s Note for this edition of the Newsletter of the Friends of
WMU, Japan, at the time when IMO is celebrating its 70th Anniversary and WMU is celebrating its 35th Anniversary.
During the first week of May, an exciting series of international events took place, including the annual meeting of
WMU’s Board of Governors, a grand Gala Dinner hosted by the City of Malmö, the inauguration of the
WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (GOI), and the WMU Global Ocean Conference on building transformative
partnerships for ocean sustainability.
The inauguration of the GOI attracted over 200 senior participants and keynote speakers, including Dr. Yohei
Sasakawa, Mr. Mitsuyuki Unno, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation, and H.E. Jun Yamazaki, Ambassador ofJapan to Sweden. The GOI is founded on the personal vision of Dr. Sasakawa, to forge a convergence platform where
policy makers, the scientific community, regulators, industry actors, academics, and representatives of civil society canmeet to discuss how best to manage and use ocean spaces and their resources for the sustainable development of present
and future generations.
I believe the GOI will transform WMU, and also offer a forum through which all graduates can be involved in ocean
stewardship in the future. As someone who has now spent 25 years at WMU, I am certain that the coming years willbring even more excitement and achievement for the whole WMU family.

Mr. Tomotsugu Noma, Mr. Sadaharu Koga,

Yoshiaki Kunieda

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation Bldg., 1-15-16 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8524 Japan
Tel: +81-(0)3-5157-5263 Fax: +81-(0)3-5157-5230 URL: http://www.spf.org/e/

Susan Jackson
Registrar, WMU