IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee To Meet For 85th Session

by Robert Lee, Tax-News.com, London

03 December 2008

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) is to meet at the Organization’s London Headquarters for its 85th session from November 26 to December 5, 2008, it has been announced.

The packed agenda includes discussion on the Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) System, the development of goal-based standards for new ship construction and the adoption of amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

The MSC is expected to consider issues relating to the establishment of the LRIT system, including the setting up, testing and integration of LRIT Data Centres. The ad hoc LRIT Group has met on a number of occasions and will report to the MSC on progress made, in particular with regard to the completion of the prototype testing of the LRIT system and the commencement of the setting up of the production system.

SOLAS regulation V/19-1 on LRIT entered into force on January 1, 2008 and will apply to ships constructed on or after December 31, 2008 with a phased implementation schedule for ships constructed before December 31, 2008. The LRIT system is intended to be operational with respect to the transmission of LRIT information by ships from December 30, 2008.

The MSC is also expected to consider a set of goal-based standards (GBS) for new ship construction, for bulk carriers and oil tankers, with a view to making their application mandatory under amendments to SOLAS Chapter II-1.

With regards to maritime safety, the MSC is expected to establish an ad hoc Working Group on Maritime Security. The MSC will also consider the need to develop guidance on port facility security audits as well as model legislation on maritime security.

The latest statistics on piracy and armed robbery against ships will be reviewed by the MSC, with consideration given to an interim report from the correspondence group on the revision of its guidance on the prevention and suppression of acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships.

Lastly, the MSC will consider other issues arising from the reports of Sub-Committees and other bodies, including:

• a number of proposals on ships’ routing, ship reporting and other relevant measures all aimed at enhancing the safety of navigation in areas of identified navigational hazards and environmentally sensitive sea areas, which have been approved by the Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation (NAV 54);
• draft amendments to SOLAS regulation V/19 to make mandatory the carriage of Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems and Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System, under SOLAS chapter V Safety of Navigation, agreed at NAV 54 in July, submitted for approval, with a view to adoption by MSC 86 in May 2009;
• a draft strategy for the development and implementation of e-navigation, including a draft framework for the implementation process for the e-navigation strategy along with a timeframe, submitted for approval.

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