France Signs Jeddah Amendment to Combat Illicit Maritime Activity

11 November 2025

On November 11, France signed the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC-JA), an initiative to deal with illegal maritime activities in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, becoming the 19th Signatory State. The country will make efforts to strengthen regional maritime security and support capacity - building activities in areas such as human trafficking prevention and port and ship security. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) supports the implementation of the DCoC-JA. The DCoC-JA plays a key role in cooperation and communication among the Signatory States. The Djibouti Code of Conduct was adopted in 2009 to combat piracy and armed robbery against ships. The DCoC-JA has expanded its scope to address illicit activities, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal dumping of toxic waste. The Signatory States, with the assistance of IMO, apply the whole-of-government approach through national maritime security committees, risk registers, and national strategies. The 19 Signatory States include Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, France, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen.

For the original article, please visit https://www.imo.org/en/mediacentre/pages/whatsnew-2370.aspx  or scan the QR code below 

Countries Intensify Efforts to Address Marine Geoengineering

13 November 2025

Parties to the London Convention and Protocol (LC/LP) – the IMO treaties that regulate the dumping of wastes at sea – have warned against the potential negative impact of rising marine geoengineering activities and adopted a statement to highlight the current state of work undertaken under the treaties. According to the London Protocol, marine engineering is defined as the technology for mitigating climate change by using ocean-based methods to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Parties to the LC/LP met at IMO headquarters in London from October 27 to 31, stressing that the protection of the marine environment must remain central to any such actions. They focused on the potential harmful effects of marine geoengineering and raised concerns about the possible environmental, social, and economic impacts on developing countries, in particular. The parties agreed to re-establish the intersessional Correspondence Group on this matter in 2026, which will focus on clarifying how the London Convention and Protocol apply to marine geoengineering; refining definitions for the priority marine engineering techniques currently under review; and advising on steps to support their implementation. They also agreed to strengthen the scientific understanding of marine geoengineering techniques to inform their decisions and potential actions. In the meantime, the meeting’s other topics included carbon sequestration in sub-seabed geological formations, disposal of fiberglass vessels, managing radioactive wastes dumped at sea, and technical cooperation to support the implementation of the LC/LP.  

For the original article, please visit https://www.imo.org/en/mediacentre/pages/whatsnew-2372.aspx  or scan the QR code below