IOPC Funds’ Director visits Japan

IOPC Funds’ Director, Gaute Sivertsen, accompanied by Policy Officer, Yuji Okugawa, travelled to Japan from 15 to 18 October 2024 for a series of high-level meetings with government officials and representatives of key stakeholders. 

Mr Sivertsen and Mr Okugawa held productive discussions with officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the Japan Coast Guard and the Japan Maritime Centre (JMC). They also met with representatives from the Petroleum Industry Marine Association of Japan (PIMA), the Petroleum Association of Japan (PAJ), the Japan Shipowners’ Association (JSA), the Japan P&I Club and Tokio Marine. 

In addition to these meetings, the two IOPC Funds officials attended the Global Maritime Forum Annual Summit 2024, an event that gathers maritime industry leaders to address the sector’s most pressing challenges. While in Japan, the Director and the Policy Officer were pleased to have the opportunity to meet with former IOPC Funds staff members who previously served as Legal Counsel within the Secretariat. 

Japan, a founding Member State of the original IOPC Fund in 1978, has actively supported the work of the organisation over the years, both through the Government and Industry, and is one of the largest contributors to the IOPC Funds. Japan is a Member State of both the 1992 Fund and the Supplementary Fund. 

The visit provided the Director with the opportunity to reconnect with key contacts, establish new connections, and to further strengthen the longstanding cooperation between the IOPC Funds and Japan.