While sustainable development is now en vogue, WASD can be credited alongside agencies that championed the merits of sustainable development and the urgency and necessity to pursue holistic strategies that will facilitate the enhancement of the human condition, while causing minimal harm to the environment.

The International Maritime Organization is truly delighted to host your event as we are fully committed in meeting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which means also playing a central role by promoting and contributing to initiatives that drive the sustainable development agenda forward.

We noted the quality of your annual conferences conceived and organized as fertile formulas of multi-stakeholder partnerships. It is against this background that I would kindly invite you to organize your 2018 16th International Annual Conference in Geneva, at the Palais des Nations. That would allow us to present the work of the Joint Inspection Unit to a broader audience.