DELEGATIONS to the International Maritime Organisation made good on commitments designed to improve maritime safety and security on Friday as an extended session of the Maritime Safety Committee came to an end.
Plans crystallised on the proposed shift in IMO’s strategy that would see administrations develop structural standards.
The controversial proposal, from Bahamas and Greece, had provoked vigorous protests from the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), but a majority at MSC believed that ‘goal-based’ standards should be explored.
By Friday guidance had emerged on what ‘goal-based’ might mean.
Sources indicated that the IMO Council would not be considering regulations specifying the amount of corrosion that steel should withstand, the quality of the materials used or the life expectancy of a ship.
However, the United Nations agency would now consider developing rules stipulating objectives now also deemed the responsibility of naval architects and IACS.
These could include minimum standards covering a ship’s ability to withstand wind forces or wave heights. They might also include a minimum ship’s life expectancy or set a minimum time limit for a vessel’s ability to withstand corrosion.
MSC also saw significant progress on the shaping of the long-awaited Flag State Audit scheme, with a code expected to be completed by November, 2005.
It agreed that the voluntary scheme would echo STCW, seeing the IMO secretary-general appoint auditors from a pool of candidates agreed by member states.
Flags would be audited for compliance with six main IMO instruments Solas, Marpol, STCW (excluding evaluations made according to the White List), the Loadline Convention, the Tonnage Convention and Collision Regulations.
Amendments to Solas due to enter force on July 1 next year would be excluded from the process, referring to the slew of new security regulations adopted to fight terrorism. However, it was expected that the scope of the audit would be extended later.
Delegates agreed that only a generic reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea should be made within the audit and that it should be excluded from the instrument.
Spain had proposed that audits should be public, but the majority of delegates supported confidentiality.
Progress was also swift on new security measures, with interim guidelines issued covering the authorisation of recognised security organisations acting on behalf of administrations.
MSC considered unnecessary a US proposal to amend the compulsory ship security certificates in the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code which looked to stipulate that ship security plans fully apply to the voluntary part of the code.
It also rejected the idea that certificates should be allowed in the case of minor defects and that interim certificates could be issued.
Publication: Lloyds List
Distributed by Financial Times Information Limited
