Iran Secures Key Strategic Wins at International Hydrographic Organization Assemblies

Nader Pasandeh, Director General of Maritime Safety and Protection, announced that the 24th Capacity Building Sub-Committee (CDSC24) and the 18th Inter-Regional Coordination Committee (IRCC18) of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) concluded their hybrid sessions in the Peruvian capital.

Iran’s PMO participated virtually, acting as the designated chair of the ROPME Sea Area Hydrographic Commission (RSAHC), the regional training coordinator, and the coordinator for regional paper and electronic navigational charts. In this capacity, Iran officially represented the nine member states of the region, which include the Islamic Republic of Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Pasandeh noted that the assemblies evaluated operational reports from the world’s 15 distinct hydrographic regions. Key discussions centered around global nautical chart production, capacity building, technical workshops, and navigating current industry bottlenecks.

Director General Pasandeh highlighted two major accomplishments that underscore Iran’s growing technical influence in global maritime governance. First, the assembly officially ratified that the 11th Session of the ROPME Sea Area Hydrographic Commission will be  chaired by the Islamic Republic of Iran later this year. “This decision reflects the deep trust member states place in Iran’s specialized expertise and its proactive role in guiding regional hydrographic efforts,” Pasandeh stated. Second, the committees successfully adopted a new long-term strategic blueprint spanning 2027 to 2032 to chart the future course for global hydrographic advancement and technical capacity upgrades.

The summit also yielded practical benefits for the region regarding budget reallocation and advanced technical training. Delegates voted to allocate the financial surplus from the 2025 budget directly into funding critical training programs for 2026 and 2027.

As a result, the committee approved two complimentary, high-level courses scheduled for the second half of this year in Oman, which will be attended by representatives from all nine regional member states. These specialized programs will focus on Maritime Safety Information (MSI) to standardize the issuance of navigational warnings and maritime safety alerts, alongside an advanced technical course on the production of Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) utilizing the next-generation S-100 international standard.