IHB File No. S3/3084
CIRCULAR LETTER 21/2015
09 March 2015
PROMULGATION OF MARITIME SAFETY INFORMATION
IMO INTERNATIONAL SAFETYNET MANUAL
New Edition
References: A. IHO CL 66/2014 dated 17 September - Sixth meeting of the Sub-Committee on
the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service
B. IHO CL 78/2014 dated 1 December - Report on the 94th Session of the IMO
Maritime Safety Committee
Dear Hydrographer,
1. In the context of its holistic review of the relevant documentation, the IHO Sub-Committee on
the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS-SC) initiated a revision of the text of the
IMO International SafetyNET Manual. Further to the last meeting of the Sub-Committee held in
September 2014 in Wellington, New Zealand (Reference A), work on this review has now been
completed. A representative from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) participated fully
in the review. WWNWS-SC also received advice and guidance from the Secretariat of the
International Maritime Organization (IMO).
2. The review took into account the changes adopted by the IMO to IMO Resolutions A.705(17)
as amended - Promulgation of Maritime Safety Information, and A.706(17) as amended - IMO/IHO
World-Wide Navigational Warning Service Guidance Document. These changes came into force on 1
January 2015. The review also took into account the revisions adopted by the IMO to the Joint
IMO/IHO/WMO Manual on Maritime Safety Information, which are due to come into force on 1
January 2016 (Reference B).
3. In addition to the changes described above, the WWNWS-SC has taken the opportunity to
correct a number of typographical errors and to update some system and equipment names.
4. The draft revised text for the IMO International SafetyNET Manual is available (in English
only) from the IHO website in the Document Review section of the WWNWS-SC page
(http://www.iho.int/srv1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=437&Itemid=395&lang=
en). Both a “redline version”, showing the changes, and a “clean version” are provided. Any
Member State requiring a hard copy of these documents should contact the IHB.
5. The IHB Directing Committee intends to forward the revised draft IMO International
SafetyNET Manual to the Secretariat of the WMO seeking its agreement for a joint submission to the
third session of the Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR
3) to be held in March 2016. The document must be submitted to the IMO Secretariat by mid-
December 2015 in order to be considered by NCSR 3. The Directing Committee therefore requests
Member States to provide comments on the draft revised SafetyNET Manual, if any, to the IHB no
later than 20 May 2015, with a copy to the Secretary of the WWNWS Document Review
WG, Mr. Larry Bennett (
[email protected]).
On behalf of the Directing Committee
Yours sincerely,
Mustafa IPTES
Director