It is with satisfaction that Malta successfully hosted the international conference on the maritime environment.

About 25 years ago, Malta had been the first to take the initiative to organise a series of international conferences themed Clean Seas. They were organised under the auspices of the leading maritime organisations, which, inter alia, included the IMO, the European Union, the United Nations, the Confederation of Merchant Shipping, Opec, the UK Institute  of Petroleum, the American Petroleum Institute and many others of repute.

The first conference was held in 1991 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta, followed by another in 1993, which incorporated the Clean Seas Awards under the patronage of the President of Malta. At least 150 ministers attended and all were looking forward to the next edition, in 1995.

Representatives and participants came from all over the globe and the initiative was reported by international news bulletins.

All this had the full approval of the Cabinet of ministers. It is strange that, for some unknown reason, certain units had insisted to kill the initiative.

I can speak with conviction because I was the brains behind the orga-nisation and had carried out all the relevant work.