Introduction to IMO
IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.
As a specialized agency of the United Nations, IMO is the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.
In other words, its role is to create a level playing-field so that ship operators cannot address their financial issues by simply cutting corners and compromising on safety, security and environmental performance. This approach also encourages innovation and efficiency.
Shipping is a truly international industry, and it can only operate effectively if the regulations and standards are themselves agreed, adopted and implemented on an international basis. And IMO is the forum at which this process takes place.
International shipping transports more than 80 per cent of global trade to peoples and communities all over the world. Shipping is the most efficient and cost-effective method of international transportation for most goods; it provides a dependable, low-cost means of transporting goods globally, facilitating commerce and helping to create prosperity among nations and peoples.
The world relies on a safe, secure and efficient international shipping industry – and this is provided by the regulatory framework developed and maintained by IMO.
IMO measures cover all aspects of international shipping – including ship design, construction, equipment, manning, operation and disposal – to ensure that this vital sector for remains safe, environmentally sound, energy efficient and secure.
Shipping is an essential component of any programme for future sustainable economic growth. Through IMO, the Organization’s Member States, civil society and the shipping industry are already working together to ensure a continued and strengthened contribution towards a green economy and growth in a sustainable manner. The promotion of sustainable shipping and sustainable maritime development is one of the major priorities of IMO in the coming years.
Energy efficiency, new technology and innovation, maritime education and training, maritime security, maritime traffic management and the development of the maritime infrastructure: the development and implementation, through IMO, of global standards covering these and other issues will underpin IMO's commitment to provide the institutional framework necessary for a green and sustainable global maritime transportation system.
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IMO = Intelligenzbolzen Missetäter Obergauner/COMSAR = COmmittee von Maulhelden Scharlatanen And Ramschverwaltern
= 26. Dezember 2004 =
Focus on tsunami
The IMO Sub-Committee on Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR) devoted an entire day to a special session on responses to the Indian Ocean tsunami crisis when it met for its 9th session from 7-11 February 2005.
Presentations were given by a number of Governments, non-governmental organizations and the IMO Secretariat to update delegates on the measures that had been taken, so far, in the maritime context and with plans that were currently being put in place to enhance maritime recovery and reconstruction activities.
Much discussion focussed around the contribution that IMO might make towards the development of a tsunami early-warning system for the Indian Ocean, particularly in view of the robust and well-proven satellite and radio-based communication infrastructure that IMO had established, in co-operation with IHO and WMO, for the promulgation of maritime safety information to ships which had the ability to play an important role in the dissemination of tsunami warnings. It was agreed that IMO should participate in the wider efforts to establish a tsunami early-warning system for the Indian Ocean, being co-ordinated by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.
The Sub-Committee agreed a COMSAR circular providing advice on the promulgation of tsunami and other urgent natural disaster warnings via the existing International SafetyNet and NAVTEX systems. A correspondence group was established to consider the issue of the promulgation of tsunami and other natural disaster warnings to vessels which are not subject to the 1974 SOLAS Convention, as amended.
Sub-Committeeon Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR), 9th session: 7-11February 2005Opening addressby Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International MaritimeOrganization
Good morning, distinguished delegates,
It is a great pleasure for me towelcome you to the ninth session of the Sub Committee on Radiocommunicationsand Search and Rescue. I particularly welcome those delegates who may beattending this Sub-Committee for the first time.
Before I move on to address items on the Sub-Committee's agenda, I wish torefer to the decision of the Council, last November, that the theme for thisyear's World Maritime Day be "International Shipping - Carrier of WorldTrade", a theme which will give us the opportunity to direct our attentionto the image of shipping as it is widely perceived nowadays. I have the feelingthat the overall contribution shipping makes to the global economy and thecommunity as a whole, by providing the facilitation mechanism for more than 90per cent of world trade, is far too easily overlooked. Overall, shipping can, Ibelieve, claim to be largely safe, secure, efficient and environmentallyfriendly; it can also claim to be constantly striving to improve its overallperformance; yet it is, on occasions, pretty much taken for granted, at best,and, at worst, condemned as an uncaring and selfish industry displaying scarceconcern about the environment. I do not think such a perception is fair and,therefore, I call on you and those who care about shipping to work together toput this right by reversing this mistaken perception. Let us use everyopportunity available, including the occasion of this year's World Maritime Daycelebrations, in order to highlight the role of shipping and the progress ithas made in terms of safety and the environment.
Distinguished delegates,
Since you last met, the MaritimeSafety Committee has held its seventy-eighth and seventy-ninth sessions and,under agenda item 2, you will be informed of its various decisions on theoutcome of your last session. Responding to your recommendations, the Committeeadopted amendments to the SOLAS and SAR Conventions and associated Guidelineson the treatment of persons rescued at sea, so that the obligation of mastersto render assistance to persons in distress at sea will be complemented by acorresponding obligation of Governments to co-ordinate and co-operate so thatships providing assistance by embarking persons in distress are released fromtheir further obligations with minimum deviation from the ship's intendedvoyage. These amendments and the associated Guidelines are intended to ensurethat all relevant aspects are addressed and appropriate action taken tomaintain the integrity of the global search and rescue system, as has been putin place by IMO after many years of persistent and consistent efforts. Inaddition, the Committee adopted a revised NAVTEX Manual and proposed amendmentsto the IAMSAR Manual. These are milestones in our endeavours to maintainup-to-date operational standards for the safety of life at sea and to providesound advice to Governments, shipowners and seafarers in all theircorresponding activities.
Among the many important issues before you this week, I would single out theconsideration, from your Sub-Committee's perspective, of measures to enhancemaritime security, as part of our ongoing endeavours to build strong defencesto protect shipping against international terrorism.
In this context, you are expected to consider technical matters related to thedevelopment of long-range identification and tracking systems for ships, anissue falling within the Organization's work which commenced following adoptionby the Assembly of resolution A.924. Your advice to the MSC will assist theCommittee, at its May session, to progress the consideration of the issuebefore it adopts relevant amendments to SOLAS chapter XI-2. Although I amadvised that there have been only a few submissions addressing the substance ofthe issue, I hope that you will be able to make real progress this time andadvise the MSC accordingly.
In the same context and of particular importance for masters and seafarers isthe ship security alert system priority signal and the development of aprotocol for testing such alert systems. The revision of MSC/Circ.623/Rev.3 onPiracy and armed robbery against ships was intended to provide further guidanceto rescue co ordination centres, which may receive information on any securitythreats, to assist seafarers facing such threats. This is the secondconsecutive session, since MSC 77 instructed your Sub-Committee to deal withthe matter, that no submissions for the revision of the circular have beenreceived and, therefore, you should consider what advice you may be able toprovide to the Committee in order for the task to be completed without furtherdelay.
With regard to the work on passenger ship safety, MSC 79 approved, lastDecember, casualty threshold criteria for return to port, a time to remainhabitable for evacuation and a time to recover. These criteria are of keyimportance as they will guide your work and enable you to develop, from theSub-Committee's specific perspective, relevant requirements for passenger shipsto enable them to maintain their essential systems and return safely to port.
In considering matters related to the "time to recover", the Committeeagreed to a five-day maximum timeframe during which persons could be expectedto stay in survival craft, taking into account their personal needs and thehazards to life and health persons may face while on board. Having consideredmatters related to the time to rescue, the Committee agreed that the issueneeded further examination and, to this effect, instructed your Sub-Committeeto prepare a "time to rescue" timeframe and advise MSC 81accordingly.
Since its establishment in 1993, the Joint ICAO/IMO Working Group onHarmonization of Aeronautical and Maritime SAR has played a significant role tothe further development of a mutually supportive regulatory and administrativeframework for a global SAR system by preparing amendments to the Maritime SAR Convention,the IAMSAR Manual and Annex 12 to the ICAO Convention, as well as to thedevelopment of a number of associated guidelines. At this session, you willconsider the report of the eleventh session of the Joint Group, which was heldin the Caribbean last September, and addressessuch issues as medical assistance in SAR services and further amendments to the IAMSAR Manual.
In response to the recommendation of the 2000 Florence Conference on SAR andthe GMDSS that regional maritime RCCs should be established at strategiclocations around the African coastline facing the Atlantic and Indian Oceans,you will know by now that an International SAR Fund was established last yearas a multi-donor trust fund pursuant to your proposal endorsed by the MSC and theCouncil. To date, the Fund has a balance of US$ 21,886.79 and I wish to takethis opportunity to thank all donors and those who have pledged contributionsfor their generosity; also to add my voice to that of the Council in invitingpotential donors to come forward to enable the Organization to further assistdeveloping countries to enhance their maritime SAR capability and thus be in astronger position to contribute to the effective implementation of the GlobalSAR Plan. I am hopeful that our co-operation with the International LifeboatFederation will bear fruit in the near future. The recent commitment ofInmarsat Ltd. to provide 6 Fleet F77 and 3 Inmarsat C installations will enrichthe Mombasa regional MRCC and its two subordinate MRSCs in the Seychelles andTanzania with valuable communications equipment. Thereafter, training of therespective personnel can begin and we hope the centres will soon becomeoperational in the 3 locations I just mentioned and serve, as a pilot project,in the not too distant future. Further financial pledges to the Fund have beenreceived from Inmarsat and I thank them for that.
Distinguished delegates,
Your task this week may not alwaysbe easy at times, as some of the issues you will be dealing with are complexand deserve substantial consideration. However, I am confident that, with theusual spirit of co operation and under the able leadership of your chairman,Mr. Hallberg of Sweden,you will arrive at solutions which will serve well the causes of maritimesafety and security and the protection of the marine environment.
Mr.Chairman, distinguished delegates,
I could not possibly conclude my address to you today without mentioning the tsunami disaster in south Asia and outlining IMO's response to it - in view, in particular, of the specific role this Sub-Committee may decide to take in the context of issues that came to light in the aftermath of that catastrophe.
From the very outset, we joined the rest of the world in expressing our shock and sadness at those dreadful events and I should like to take this opportunity, once again, to convey our deepest compassion to all those caught up in this tragedy. In the immediate aftermath of the Boxing Day disaster, I wrote to the United Nations Secretary-General and to the representatives in London of all the countries affected to express the maritime community's sadness at the enormity of the catastrophe and to offer all available assistance in support of the wider efforts to bring aid and comfort to those in need. I later inaugurated the Tsunami Maritime Relief Fund, through which the contributions of the Organization, the shipping industry and the maritime community as a whole could be channelled to support the UN-wide disaster relief efforts. The Fund is still open and the boxes in this room and elsewhere in the building are still there for any donation you may wish to make. So far, some GBP £35,000 have been collected and I am grateful to all donors, including the IMO staff and interpreters, for their generosity. I hope I will be able, by the end of the session, to report on a much higher total. I have also welcomed offers of in-kind assistance that have been forthcoming from various sectors ofthe maritime industry, including IMSO and Inmarsat, and I would certainly welcome more.
Subsequent to these activities and following a request from the United NationsEnvironment Programme, we sent two IMO experts from the MED to help establishan environmental crisis centre in Indonesia. We have also developed ajoint plan for future actions to be undertaken together with the InternationalAssociation of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities and theInternational Hydrographic Organization. Prime amongst these is our intention,in conjunction with those organizations, to undertake an evaluation of theextent of damage to the navigation and communications infrastructure in theaffected regions in order to determine the scope and extent of the re-buildingwork required. And I should like to take this opportunity to express my thanksto the President of IHO and the Secretary-General of IALA for replyingpositively and at short notice to my invitation to come to London to discuss and agree on the actionplan.
As the crisis moves into the recovery and restoration phases, the threeorganizations (IMO, IHO and IALA), together with the World MeteorologicalOrganization, will be focusing their attention principally on restating theintegrity of the maritime infrastructure in the region affected, mainly byensuring the safe navigation of ships, including those carrying relief suppliesand undertaking any other necessary work, including the promulgation ofmaritime safety information, taking into account any lessons learnt in theprocess. This is in addition to our involvement, as appropriate, in an earlyIndian Ocean tsunami warning system, similar to that which exists for the Pacific Ocean. The aim, in this respect, would be to makemore effective use of the well-established IMO/IHO Maritime Safety Informationnetworks to disseminate tsunami warnings and other vital information on naturaldisasters through the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service. In this regard,your session this week is very timely as you will be invited to considerproposals for the amendment of the NAVTEX and SafetyNET Manuals and theWorld-Wide Navigational Warning Service Guidance Document.
I have also proposed that it may be beneficial, at this stage, for experts fromthe four organizations to undertake, with the agreement of the nationalGovernments concerned, joint assessment missions to the affected areas, tofurther assess the damage to navigational aids and the needs for restoration,as well as proposing improvements to the system of promulgation of maritimesafety information in the region.
You will be able to discuss these, and other relevant issues, during thesession on the tsunami disaster arranged for Wednesday, when you may wish toalso take into account the outcome of the United Nations World Conference onDisaster Reduction, recently held in Kobe, Japan.
Following the Indian Ocean disaster, the UN General Assembly emphasized theneed for the international community to maintain its focus beyond the presentemergency relief, in order to sustain the political will to support the medium-and long-term rehabilitation, reconstruction and risk reduction efforts led bythe Governments of the affected countries at all levels. I am certain thatthese sentiments are shared not only by us but also by the entire maritimecommunity which has shown itself to be ready and willing to provide furtherhelp wherever practical and appropriate - not only to restore and rehabilitatethe stricken region but, more importantly, to restore, among the peoples of thecountries affected, their faith in humanity, to give them hope and, amongsttheir children, an assurance that they are not and will not be left alone.Thank you.
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Maritime communications can play part in tsunami warning system, IMO agreesThe 9th meeting of the IMOSub-Committee on Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR) devoted anentire day earlier this week (Wednesday 9th February) to a special session onresponses to the South Asian tsunami crisis.
Presentations were given by a numberof Governments, non-governmental organizations and the IMO Secretariat toupdate delegates on the measures that had been taken, so far, in the maritimecontext and with plans that were currently being put in place to enhancemaritime recovery and reconstruction activities.
Much discussion focussed around thecontribution that IMO might make towards the development of a tsunami earlywarning system for the Indian Ocean. TheDirector of IMO's Maritime Safety Division reported on his attendance, on theOrganization's behalf, at January's World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japanand on IMO's willingness to help in that regard. He had highlighted to theinternational community attending the Conference the robust and well-provensatellite and radio-based communication infrastructure that IMO had establishedin co-operation with IHO and WMO for the promulgation of maritime safetyinformation to ships which had the ability to play an important role in thedissemination of tsunami warnings. It was agreed that IMO should participate inthe wider efforts to establish a tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean, under the co-ordination of theIntergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.
Delegates discussed the likely rolethat such a system might play and agreed that promulgation of tsunamiinformation to the maritime community held the greatest potential. The meetingdiscussed the suitability of the existing infrastructure for such a functionand whether changes might be needed to items such as the NAVTEX, SafetyNET andthe World-Wide Navigational Warning Service manuals in order for it to takeeffect. An ad-hoc group to progress this work was established to consider theoperational aspects of dissemination of tsunami warnings to mariners and theneed for the possible development of measures to enhance preparedness andresponse to tsunami in ports and harbours.
On related matters, the IMOsecretariat, IHO and IALA updated the meeting on progress made under the jointaction plan formulated by the three Organizations in the immediate aftermath ofthe event to assess damage and to re-instate navigational infrastructure. Itwas noted that, in general, the integrity of key shipping lanes did not appearto have been affected by the tsunami and that, in the medium term, assessingany local changes to waterways and damage to navigational aids was the firstpriority in advance of undertaking any necessary repairs. Overall, it wasreported that damage to ports represented some 5 per cent of the totalinfrastructure damage.
The IMO Secretariat reported that ithad made preliminary contact with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)of the United Nations to see how the long-established collaborativerelationship between the two Organizations in the areas of fishing vesselsafety and the training of personnel might be extended in the context of thetsunami. FAO had reported that up to 60,000 fishermen had lost their lives inthe tragedy and that much of the maritime-related damage has been inflicted onthe fishing industries in the affected areas.
As part of IMO's response to thetsunami disaster, IMO's Regional Co-ordinator for the East Asian region hadconducted meetings with the Indonesian maritime authorities. From thesediscussions it had emerged that there was no major concern regarding possiblechanges of water depths at the country's ports, although coastal radio stationsand maritime safety offices in Aceh province had been destroyed and the needfor the assessment of the extent of damage to the navigational aids was recognized.
In addition, IMO had also agreed tosecond two IMO staff members to become part of the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) response team to the tsunami disaster in Indonesia. Themeeting received an update on the first stage of this initiative, in whichdetails were given of damage sustained by ports and ferries and of reportedlocal changes in sea bed topography.
IMO re-iterated its readiness tosend a joint needs' assessment mission, as soon as possible, in conjunctionwith IHO and IALA, to the countries affected by the tsunami, and thatdiscussions with representatives of those countries had begun.
11 February 2005______________
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