IMO Sub-Committee restructuring agreed by MSC and MEPC

IMO Sub-Committee restructuring

agreed by MSC and MEPC

The restructuring proposals had already been

considered and approved by the Marine Environment

Protection Committee (MEPC) at its sixty-fifth session.

The restructuring will see the number of Sub-

Committees reduced from nine to seven, with their

terms of reference amended to cover the following

issues:

Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training

and Watchkeeping (HTW):

to address issues

relating to human element training and watchkeeping,

including minimum international standards for training

and certification of seafarers and fishing vessel

personnel; and technical and operational issues

related to maritime safety, security, and environmental

protection, to encourage a safety culture in all ship

operations; safe manning; the review, updating and

revision of IMO model courses; and promotion and

IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) has agreed to a restructuring of IMO’s Sub-

Committees, in order to deal more effectively with the technical and operational issues

covered by IMO regulations, as part of the Organization’s review and reform process

implementation of the Organization’s human element

strategy.

Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO

Instruments (III):

to address the effective and

consistent global implementation and enforcement

of IMO instruments concerning maritime safety and

security and the protection of the marine environment,

including: comprehensive review of the rights and

obligations of States emanating from the IMO treaty

instruments; assessment, monitoring and review of

the current level of implementation of IMO instruments

by States in their capacity as flag, port and coastal

States and countries training and certifying officers

and crews; identification of the reasons for the

difficulties in implementing provisions of relevant

IMO instruments; consideration of proposals to

assist States in implementing and complying with

The number of IMO Sub-

Committees is to be reduced

to help streamline the

Organization

INTELLIGENCE

IMO instruments; analyses of investigation reports into marine casualties and incidents;

review of IMO standards on maritime safety and security and the protection of the

marine environment, to maintain an updated and harmonized guidance on survey and

certification-related requirements; and promotion of global harmonization of port

State control activities.Sub-Committee on Navigation,Communications and Search and

Rescue (NCSR):

to consider technical and operational matters related to the obligations of Governments and operational

measures related to safety of navigation,including hydrographic and meteorological

services, ships’ routeing, ship reporting systems, aids to navigation, radio-

navigation systems, vessel traffic services,and pilotage; operational requirements

and guidelines relating to navigational safety and associated issues, such as

regulations for the prevention of collisions    and groundings, bridge procedures,voyage planning, avoidance of dangerous

situations, places of refuge including maritime assistance services and relevant aspects of maritime security; carriage

requirements, performance standards and operational guidelines for the use of shipborne navigational equipment and other

navigational requirements; obligations of  Governments and operational measures related to the Global Maritime Distress and

Safety System (GMDSS), development and maintenance of the global search and

rescue (SAR) Plan and the Long Range  Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system;

operational requirements and guidelines relating to radio communications and search and rescue, and, in co-operation

with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the harmonization of aeronautical and maritime search and

rescue procedures; carriage requirements,  performance standards and operational  guidelines for the use of ship-borne

radiocommunications and search and  rescue equipment; and liaison with the  International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

on maritime mobile radio communication

matters.

Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention

and Response (PPR):

to consider

technical and operational matters related

to: prevention and control of pollution of

the marine environment from ships and

other related maritime operations; safe and

environmentally sound recycling of ships;

evaluation of safety and pollution hazards

of liquid substances in bulk transported

by ships; control and management of

harmful aquatic organisms in ships’ ballast

water and sediments, and biofouling; and

pollution preparedness, response and co-

operation for oil and hazardous and noxious

substances.

Sub-Committee on Ship Design and

Construction (SDC):

to consider technical

and operational matters related to: design,

construction, subdivision and stability,

buoyancy, sea-keeping and arrangements,

including evacuation matters, of all types

of ships, vessels, craft and mobile units

covered by IMO instruments; testing and

approval of construction and materials; load

line matters; tonnage measurement matters;

safety of fishing vessels and fishermen; and

survey and certification.

Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and

Equipment (SSE):

to consider technical

and operational matters related to: systems

and equipment, including machinery and

electrical installations, of all types of ships,

vessels, craft and mobile units covered

by IMO instruments; testing and approval

of systems and equipment; life-saving

equipment, appliances and arrangements;

fire protection systems; and analyses of

casualty and incident records relating to

ship systems and equipment.

Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes

and Containers (CCC):

to consider

technical and operational matters related

to: effective implementation of the relevant

conventions, codes and other instruments,

mandatory or recommendatory, as

appropriate, dealing with cargo operations,

which include packaged dangerous goods,

solid bulk cargoes, bulk gas cargoes, and

containers; evaluation of safety and pollution

hazards of packaged dangerous goods,

solid bulk cargoes and gas cargoes; survey

and certification of ships carrying hazardous

cargoes; further enhancement of the safety

and security culture, and environmental

consciousness in all cargo and container

operations; and co-operation with other

relevant UN bodies, IGOs and NGOs on

international standards related to containers

and to cargo operations.

Previous review

The last review of the sub-committee

structure was in the 1996-1997 biennium

when the number of Sub-Committees was

reduced from 11 to 9: the Sub-Committee

on Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG); Sub-

Committee on Dangerous Goods, Solid

Cargoes and Containers (DSC); Sub-

Committee on Radiocommunications,

Search and Rescue (COMSAR); Sub-

Committee on Navigation (NAV); Sub-

Committee on Ship Design and Equipment

(DE), Sub-Committee on Fire Protection

(FP), Sub-Committee on Stability, Load

Lines and Fishing Vessels Safety (SLF); Sub-

Committee on Flag State Implementation

(FSI); and Sub-Committee on Standards of

Training and Watchkeeping