E
4 ALBERT EMBANKMENT
LONDON SE1 7SR
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7735 7611 Fax: +44 (0)20 7587 3210
Circular Letter No.3823
6 March 2018
To: All IMO Member States
United Nations and specialized agencies
Intergovernmental organizations
Non-governmental organizations in consultative status
Subject: International Workshop on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships and
IMO regulations (Monday, 14 May 2018, at IMO Headquarters, London)
1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its ninety-eighth session (MSC 98) held in
June 2017, agreed to include a new agenda item on "Regulatory scoping exercise for the use of
Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS)" in the agenda for MSC 99, and deliberation on
MASS will therefore start at that session, to be held from Wednesday, 16 to Friday, 25 May 2018.
2 In this regard, an "International Workshop on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships
and IMO regulations" has been scheduled to be held on Monday, 14 May 2018, two days
before MSC 99, at IMO Headquarters, to progress this important work and facilitate the
deliberations under the agenda item. This International Workshop consists of three sessions
as follows:
Session 1 – Presentations on R&D of MASS: Each presenter is expected to explain
relevant R&D projects and give a view on international regulations and MASS, gained
through ongoing projects;
Session 2 – Presentations on regulatory studies: Each presenter is expected to
identify issues to be considered in terms of international regulations and MASS, and
give views about them; and
Session 3 – Panel discussion: All presenters for sessions 1 and 2 are expected to
participate in the panel discussion to deliberate how regulatory issues should be
addressed by IMO.
3 The Workshop, organized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and
Tourism of Japan (MLIT), the National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology
(MPAT), the National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI) and the Japan Ship Technology
Research Association (JSTRA), is scheduled to take place from 1.30 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. on
Monday, 14 May 2018, in the Main Hall of IMO Headquarters, 4 Albert Embankment,
London SE1 7SR. The programme of the workshop is attached. The workshop will be
conducted in English only and will be followed by a reception sponsored by JSTRA.
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Circular Letter No.3823
Page 2
4 Participants are requested to inform the Workshop's Secretariat by Friday, 4 May 2018,
of their intended attendance by email to
[email protected], notifying:
.1 title;
.2 name;
.3 position;
.4 country/organization; and
.5 email address.
***
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Circular Letter No.3823
Annex, page 1
ANNEX
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Circular Letter No.3823
Annex, page 2
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Circular Letter No.3823
Annex, page 3
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Dear IALA members,
We are pleased to inform you that the Japanese government holds an International Workshop on
Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship and IMO regulations on 14th May 2018 at the IMO Headquarters.
Please see attached the circular letter issued from IMO with the program of the workshop.
We believe that this workshop may be of interest to you.
For the IALA Secretariat
Best regards,
Audrey GUINAULT
Administrative Assistant / Assistante Administrative
Tel +33 (0)1 34 51 70 01 – Fax +33 (0)1 34 51 82 05 – E-mail :
[email protected]