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.
During its 31st session on 25 November to 4 December 2019, the IMO Assembly adopted, among others, a resolution addressing fraudulent ship registration. The IMO recently put under the microscope over 300 ships involved in fraudulent vessel registrations.
During its 31st session on 25 November-4 December, the IMO Assembly adopted a resolution on interim safety measures for ships not certified under the SOLAS Convention operating in polar waters. The resolution urges Member States to implement, voluntarily, safety measures prescribed in the Polar Code.
USCG’s Outer Continental Shelf National Center of Expertise (OCS NCOE) issued two publications, enabling the easy use for both guides through a smartphone, tablet, or device of choice leading to an efficient navigation.
BIMCO’s Documentary Committee has agreed to a major overhaul of the Dispute Resolution Clause with the aim to shorten and simplify BIMCO’s longest standard clause, simplifying the clause, mostly by removing the mediation provision that was added to the clause in 2002.
RMI issued updated IMDG Code requirements, reflecting its decision to allow 200 bar oxygen cylinders to be replaced with those of an equivalent capacity. This is due to an increasing number of countries that limit the filling pressure of medical oxygen to below the 200 bar recommended in the MFAG.
The Bahamas Maritime Authority issued guidance for safe manning requirements, reiterating that SOLAS Regulation V/14.2 and Merchant Shipping (Training, Certification and Manning) Regulations 2012 require ships to be provided with a Minimum Safe Manning Document (MSMD).
Vessels navigating in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore are required to comply with the ‘Rules For Vessels Navigating Through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore’ adopted by the IMO MSC 69 in 1998, in accordance with the provision of Resolution A.858(20), the MPA Singapore reminded.
As part of its efforts to reduce ship emissions and lift air quality around ports and harbours, New Zealand will sign up to Annex VI of MARPOL, the international maritime convention for the prevention of pollution from ships.
On 2 December, the European Council accepted the proposal of easing the completion of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), by running up the permit-granting processes. The agreed proposal further goals to clarify the procedures which project promoters need to follow, such as permit granting and public procurement.
