The 6th session of the Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments (III) met at the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) headquarters from 1-5 July 2019, under the chairmanship of Claudia Grant from Jamaica. IUMI was represented by Hendrike Kühl (IUMI Policy Director). Here is a short summary of the key issues discussed:
Harmonising Port State Control (PSC)
III agreed on agenda items which could be discussed at the eighth IMO Workshop for Port State Control (PSC) MOU/Agreement Secretaries and Database Managers workshop (PSCWS 8). The workshop is planned for the second half of 2020.
Items to be addressed in the workshop include:
- in-depth analysis of annual PSC reports;
- duplication of inspection information in a port of a State that is a member of more than one PSC regime;
- issues related to Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS), including the data exchange between PSC regimes and the GISIS and facilities to upload deficiencies that have been corrected, and their possible follow-up;
- possible harmonisation of Review Procedures in case of detention;
- possible harmonisation of Ship Risk Profile, Targeting Factors for PSC and Recognized Organisation (RO) Responsibility;
- possible impact on PSC in follow-up to analyses of the consolidated audit summary reports from the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS);
- information update on the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006-related matters.
The Sub-Committee studied the annual reports submitted by nine regional PSC regimes. 90,308 inspections were carried out in 2017, with 2,583 detentions reported to have taken place. The overall detention rate was 2.86% in 2017.
Review and analysis of maritime casualties
The analysis of 27 reports of investigation into casualties was reviewed by the Sub-Committee. Further measures related to safe pilotage practice were identified as priority. More information is necessary about shortcomings of master-pilot exchange, technical issues related to the performance of rudders, propellers, etc; as well as commercial pressure and performance indicators. Such additional information is needed for all ship types, not only for ultra large container vessels. Member States were urged to submit reports of investigation, especially for very serious casualties. Such reports help to facilitate a better analysis with data from around the globe.
A review of the taxonomy of the GISIS module on marine casualties and incidents is also underway. Once this exercise is finished, exchanges on potential ways to achieve comprehensive reporting and a strategy for increasing the reporting rate of very serious marine casualties and the collection of casualty data to support trend analysis will be discussed.
