IMO honours Kofi Mbiah for meritorious service
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has honoured the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Dr Emmanuel Kofi Mbiah, for his meritorious services to the organisation over the last 20 years.
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Dr Mbiah was also celebrated by the global organisation for his immense contribution to the Legal Committee of the IMO.
The Secretary General of the IMO, Mr Kitack Lim, presented the award to him at the closing ceremony of the 104th session of the Legal Committee.
This was after Dr Mbiah had stepped down as the Chairman of the Legal Committee of the IMO, which he held for some seven years.
Glowing tribute
Mr Lim paid glowing tribute to Dr Mbiah and recalled his contributions as a delegate to the Legal Committee several years ago.
He explained that his contributions during debates in the Legal Committee depicted him as an astute legal luminary well versed in the international maritime law.
“Even before he was elected to the position of chairman of the committee, he had made significant contributions to the work of IMO,” he stated.
Commenting on his role as Chairman of the Legal Committee from 2010 to 2017, the Secretary General said: "I truly enjoyed observing how you operated this podium; undeterred by even the most complex of legal issues, always giving everyone a fair hearing, and passionate to find a common ground even if the committee is completely divided."
He also observed that Dr Mbiah chaired the meetings of the committee with dexterity and efficiency, providing humour sometimes in very intractable debates.
Achievements
Mr Lim noted that during the chairmanship of Dr Mbiah, “He worked tirelessly to facilitate the effective implementation of IMO’s Conventions emanating from the Legal Committee and, as a matter of fact, the Athens Protocol entered into force in 2014 and the Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention entered into force in 2015, and the HNS Convention notably received, last week, its first ratification”.
The Secretary General also traced Dr Mbiah’s academic path; having obtained a Masters in Marine Management and a Masters in Business Management, the Shippers Authority CEO pursued Master of Laws at the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI), where he graduated with distinction and obtained a PhD in Maritime Administration from the World Maritime University (WMU).
According to Mr Lim, the fact that Dr Mbiah studied at IMLI and WMU - both academic institutions owned by the IMO, makes him a real child of IMO.
"Beside his outstanding academic credentials and sterling career, Kofi strikes me as a very kind, approachable and generous person, possessing a great sense of humour and charm, not to mention his power of persuasion, probably typical of a lawyer," Mr Lim added.
Positions held
Over the period, Dr Mbiah worked as Chairman of the Drafting Committee at the Diplomatic Conference for the adoption of the 2002 Protocol to the Athens Convention on the carriage of Passengers and their luggage by sea.
He was also chairman of the Drafting Committee at the Diplomatic Conference for the adoption of the 2010 Protocol to the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by sea.
Dr Mbiah served as one of the vice-presidents at the Diplomatic Conference for the adoption of the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks 2007 as well as chairman of Committee One at the 29th IMO Assembly.