At its 31st session, which took place on 25 November – 4 December 2019, the IMO Assembly adopted a resolution on Guidance on communication of information by Member States, to help improve information reporting.
Information reporting has been identified as a key area for improvement in the analysis of the first consolidated audit summary report, which analysed findings from mandatory Member State audits conducted during 2016.
The Guidance adopted aims to help Member States comply with the requirements, under various IMO instruments, concerning communication of information, and fulfill their reporting obligations more effectively.
In particular, the Guidance recommends that Member States establish a reporting system by assigning reporting responsibilities among relevant entities that participate in the implementation and enforcement of the applicable IMO instruments.
The Assembly also adopted updates to three key instruments that assist implementation of IMO instruments:
- the Survey Guidelines under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification, 2019;
- the 2019 Non-exhaustive list of obligations under instruments relevant to the IMO instruments implementation Code (III Code); and
- the Procedures for Port State control, 2019.
Auditing IMO Member States is critical for assessing how effectively these administer key IMO treaties and subsequently ensuring that the IMO regulatory framework is universally implemented.