The Global Ballast Water Test Organizations Network (GloBal TestNet) has been meeting in Montreal, Canada. GloBal TestNet launched its website and elected a new steering committee, while discussing further ways of collaboration amongst its members.
GloBal TestNet, which was formally established in 2013 with 16 signatories to a Memorandum of Understanding, aims to increase levels of standardization, transparency and openness in testing ballast water management systems. This is intended to benefit test facility clients as well as the end-users of ballast water treatment technologies: the ship owners who need cost-effective and environmentally-friendly systems to meet the requirements of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention), 2004, which is close to reaching entry into force requirements.
The formation of GloBal TestNet has been supported by the Global Industry Alliance (GIA) of the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloBallast Partnerships Programme. GloBal TestNet gathers organizations involved in the generation of data from land-based and/or shipboard testing for the certification of ballast water management systems, under the 2004 BWM Convention and relevant Guidelines or other test protocols.
