IMO's Facilitation Committee Revised MASS Roadmap
The IMO's Facilitation Committee held its 48th session (FAL 48) from April 8 to 12, in person at IMO Headquarters in London.The Facilitation Committee (FAL) meets annually to deal with matters related to the facilitation of international maritime traffic, including the arrival, stay and departure of ships, persons and cargo from ports. The Committee also addresses electronic business and aims to ensure that the right balance is struck between regulation and the facilitation of international maritime trade.
IMO Facilitation Committee to Discuss Autonomous Shipping
The IMO Facilitation Committee will meet in person at IMO Headquarters in London for its 48th session (FAL 48) from April 8 to 12 to discuss issues related to autonomous shipping; prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking on ships; digitalization initiatives and the implementation of the Maritime Single Window and Port Community Systems.The Facilitation Committee (FAL) will continue discussions around regulating commercial vessels that can operate independent of human interaction - Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS).
IMO Updates Virtual Meetings Calendar
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has published its remote meetings calendar for the rest of 2020 after its initial agenda of IMO Council and Committees sessions was scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic.The first scheduled meeting is set to be a simultaneous, remote extraordinary sessions of all Committees (expected to be held 16-18 September), to address procedural matters. This follows decisions of the IMO Council's thirty second extraordinary session (summary here C.ES 32)…
IMO’s Legal Committee to Promote HNS 2010
International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Legal Committee is expected to consider adopting a resolution to encourage the ratification and implementation of the 2010 HNS Convention, when it meets for its 104th session (26-28 April). Norway recently became the first country to become a Contracting State to this key compensation treaty covering the transport of hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) by ship. Also up for consideration is a draft Assembly resolution to allow for the delegation of authority to issue insurance certificates under the CLC and the HNS Convention. The Committee is also expected to confirm the addition of mandatory insurance certificates into the consolidated draft list of certificates and documents required to be carried on board ships, 2017.
Preventing Maritime Traffic Delays
Facilitation of maritime traffic is on the agenda at a national seminar being held in Manila, the Philippines (6-8 December), with thirty participants from ministries responsible for clearing ships, cargo, crew and passengers at ports of the Philippines, and private stakeholders. The workshop is assisting the Philippines with the ratification process of International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL), which is designed to help prevent unnecessary delays in maritime traffic. The workshop will cover recent developments in the FAL Convention that were adopted by the IMO’s FAL Committee in April 2016.
IMO’s “No Red Tape” Committee
The International Maritime Organization’s Facilitation Committee, the focus for IMO’s work in eliminating unnecessary formalities and “red tape” in international shipping, has opened its first session as a formally institutionalized Committee of the Organization. The Committee now has full standing, reflecting the importance of its work and the issues it addresses, following the entry into force, on 7 December 2008, of the 1991 amendments to the IMO Convention to institutionalize the Committee, which puts it on a par with the Maritime Safety, Marine Environment Protection, Legal and Technical Co-operation Committees. Participation in all Committees is open to all Member States of IMO.
