Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Third Ministerial Conference of the Abuja MoU on Port State Control for West and Central African Countries in Accra, Dr. Bawumia stated: “We are here today because we share a common interest and a common purpose. We are all coastal States endowed with huge marine natural resources. With this blessing, comes a responsibility to protect our marine environment from pollution caused by decades of loose maritime rules and the use of sub-standard ships. 

“Today, about 90% of world trade is carried by sea transport and it is indeed vital to the functioning of the global economy. The bulk transport of raw materials and the import/export of affordable food and goods to sustain the global economy would simply not be possible without shipping.”
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