REPORT ON THE 95th SESSION OF THE IMO MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE

IHB File No. S3/3055 CIRCULAR LETTER 43/2015 18 June 2015 REPORT ON THE 95th SESSION OF THE IMO MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE References: A. IHO CL 78/2014 dated 01 December - Report on the 94thSession of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee B. IHO CL 20/2015 dated 06 March - IHO Contribution to the Implementation of e-Navigation - Proposed Submission to the 95th Session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee C. IHO CL 24/2015 dated 16 March - Report on the 2nd Session of the IMO Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR 2) D. IHO CL 34/2015 dated 27 April - Preparation for the 95th Session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) Dear Hydrographer, 1. As announced in Reference A, the 95th session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 95) was held at the IMO Headquarters in London from 3 to 12 June. Director Gilles BESSERO and Assistant Director David WYATT represented the IHO. 2. The following paragraphs cover matters of particular interest to the IHO. Unsafe mixed migration by sea 3. A number of UN agencies were invited by the IMO Secretary General to attend a half-day special meeting on the increasing challenges and difficulties being experienced by the maritime industry and regional search and rescue (SAR) authorities involved with the rescue of illegal migrants at sea around the world. Delegates called for action and it was agreed that the MSC should include an item on Unsafe Mixed Migration by Sea in its agenda and invite Member States to make submissions to MSC 96. The MSC also agreed to instruct the Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR) to place an unplanned output from the 2016-2017 biennium agenda on the agenda of its next meeting (NCSR 3) and to consider the guidance on large-scale rescue operations at sea developed by the shipping industry. ECDIS 4. The MSC approved the draft MSC Circular on ECDIS – Guidance for good practice which will be issued as MSC.1/Circ.1503. GMDSS 5. The MSC considered document MSC 95/19/10 submitted by the USA, which proposed the development of new generic performance standards for ship-borne Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) equipment to accommodate additional providers of GMDSS satellite services. It was agreed to include it in the 2016-2017 biennial agenda for the NCSR and the provisional agenda for NCSR 3 with a target completion year of 2016. Routeing Measures and Charting 6. The MSC also addressed various matters related to hydrography and nautical charting resulting from considerations at the 2nd NCSR session (see Reference C). The main items included the adoption of two-way routes in the south-west Coral Sea, the establishment of a new area to be avoided in the south-west Coral Sea and the establishment of five new areas to be avoided in the region of the Aleutian Islands. It was decided that these measures would be promulgated as SN.1/Circ.331 and implemented on 1 January 2016, which would be six months after adoption. 7. The MSC considered document MSC 95/19/4 submitted by Denmark and the Netherlands, which proposed to amend the IMO Resolution A.572(14) – General provision on ships’ routeing to safeguard manoeuvring space for ships in the vicinity of multiple structures at sea. It was agreed to include this output in the 2016-2017 biennial agenda for the NCSR and on the provisional agenda for NCSR 3 with a target completion year of 2016. E-navigation 8. As announced in Reference D, the IHO co-sponsored with the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), the Comité International Radio- Maritime (CIRM), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the Baltic and International Maritime Conference (BIMCO) and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) a presentation on An IGO/NGO view on e-Navigation. The presentation was introduced at the end of the first day of the session. It reviewed the current status of e-navigation developments and urged the IMO to continue to take the lead in these on-going developments. 9. The MSC approved the draft MSC circular – Guideline on Software Quality Assurance and Human-Centred Design for e-navigation which had been endorsed by NCSR 2 (see Reference C). The circular will be issued as MSC.1/Circ.1512. 10. Noting the decisions of MSC 94 (see Reference A), the Committee considered document MSC 95/19/8 on implementing e-navigation to enhance the safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment, which included six proposed outputs. In this context the MSC also considered document MSC 95/19/14 submitted by the IHO (see References B and D). The MSC noted the concerns expressed by the IHO but broadly supported the proposals contained in MSC 95/19/8. 11. In particular, the Committee agreed the following proposed outputs:  Guidelines on standardized modes of operation – it was agreed to include this as an output in the post-biennial agenda (2018-2019) of the MSC with NCSR assigned as the coordinating body;  Revised performance standards for Integrated Navigation Systems (INS) – it was agreed to review resolution MSC.252(83) relating to the harmonization of bridge design and display information. The MSC agreed to include this output in the 2016-2017 biennial agenda of the NCSR and in the provisional agenda for NCSR 3 with a target completion year of 2017;  Guidelines and criteria for ship reporting systems – it was agreed to review resolution MSC.43(64), as amended, relating to standardization and harmonized electronic ship reporting and automated collection of on-board data for reporting. The MSC agreed to include this output in the 2016-2017 biennial agenda of the NCSR and provisional agenda for NCSR 3 with a target completion year 2017;  General requirements for ship-borne radio equipment forming part of the GMDSS and for electronic navigational aids – it was agreed to revise Resolution A.694(17) relating to Built In Integrity Testing (BIIT) for navigation equipment. The MSC agreed to include this output in the post-biennial agenda (2018-2019) of the MSC with NCSR assigned as the coordinating body; and  Guidelines for the harmonized display of navigation information received via communications equipment – it was agreed to include this output in the 2016-2017 biennial agenda for the NCSR and the provisional agenda for NCSR 3 with a target completion year of 2017. 12. The MSC did not accept the proposed output on “Consideration of reports on development and implementation of Maritime Service Portfolios (MSPs) (and other e-navigation reports) from Member States and international organizations” in its current form. The Committee recognized the importance of e-navigation and that the IMO should take a leading role and therefore invited member governments and interested parties to prepare a full justification for this output. Norway volunteered to coordinate this work and to submit a revised proposal for consideration at MSC 96. 13. The MSC agreed to amend the existing High-level Action 5.2.6 to read “Development and implementation of e-navigation” for inclusion in the High-level Action Plan for 2016-2017. The Directing Committee will invite the relevant IHO subordinate bodies to consider the further contribution of the IHO to this High-level Action. Maritime Cybersecurity 14. The MSC considered the issues of maritime cybersecurity and agreed to await the outcome of the industry guidance on maritime cybersecurity on board ships which is planned to be submitted to MSC 96. Member States and international organizations were urged to collaborate on proposals for guidance on maritime cybersecurity. It was noted that all stakeholders of the supply chain would have to incorporate a maritime cybersecurity regime. In due course, this may impact the provision of hydrographic services in relation to the operation of ECDIS and e-navigation within integrated systems, the development of services based on S-100 and the modernization of the GMDSS. Office Bearers 15. The MSC unanimously elected Mr Bradley GROVES of Australia as Chair and Mr Juan Carlos CUBISINO of Argentina as Vice-Chair of the Committee for 2016. Report of the Session 16. The final report of MSC 95 (MSC 95/22) will be available on the IMO website under IMODOCS in due course. Next Sessions 17. The next sessions of the MSC are scheduled from 11 to 20 May 2016 (MSC 96) and from 21 to 25 November 2016 (MSC 97) at IMO Headquarters in London. On behalf of the Directing Committee Yours sincerely, Gilles BESSERO Director