The 101st session of the Maritime Safety Committee took place at IMO Headquarters from Wednesday, 5 till Friday, 14 June 2019. The delegation of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) including D.S. Zhukov, a senior lecturer of the Ship Control Department of NU «OMA»  participated in the work of 101st session of the Maritime Safety Committee. Delegations of the IMO member countries, the representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations took part in the work of the MSC.

The agenda consisted of 24 issues: adoption of the agenda; report on credentials; decisions of other IMO bodies; consideration and adoption of amendments to mandatory instruments; measures to enhance maritime security; regulatory scoping exercise for the use of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS); goal-based new ship construction standards; safety measures for non-SOLAS ships operating in polar waters; development of further measures to enhance the safety of ships relating to the use of fuel oil; carriage of cargoes and containers (report of the fifth session of the Sub-Committee); implementation of IMO instruments (report of the fifth session of the Sub-Committee); navigation, communications and search and rescue (report of the sixth session of the Sub-Committee); ship design and construction (report of the sixth session of the Sub-Committee); pollution prevention and response (matters emanating from the sixth session of the Sub-Committee); ship systems and equipment (report of the sixth session of the Sub-Committee); implementation of the STCW Convention; capacity-building for the implementation of new measures; formal safety assessment; piracy and armed robbery against ships; unsafe mixed migration by sea; application of the Committee’s method of work; work programme; election of Chair and Vice-Chair for 2020; any other business; consideration of the report of the Committee on its 101st session.

142 working papers were submitted for discussion.

The IMO Secretary General, Mr. Kitack Lim made opening remarks on the opening day of the meeting. Kitak Lim began his speech with words of condolences to the families who died in the catastrophe on the Danube River in Budapest. He further noted the celebration of the 70th anniversary of IMO last year and the International Day of the Seafarer held under the motto “Better shipping for a better future.” This year, the International Day of the Seafarer will be held on September 26, under the motto “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community”. Such a motto is an important confirmation of the significant contribution of women to the maritime industry.

Among the most important issues on the agenda, Kitak Lim noted the following: legal regulation of the use of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships, or MASS; development and implementation by classification societies of target standards for bulk carriers and tankers under construction, according to the regulation II-1/3-10 of the SOLAS Convention; development of safety measures for the use of fuel oil.

The issues of piracy, armed attacks of ships and unsafe migration also remain on the agenda of the international maritime community. In the past 2018, 223 cases of pirated attacks on ships were recorded, which is 9% more than similar incidents in 2017 (204). Kitak Lim drew attention to the great work undertaken during the meetings of various IMO subcommittees preceding the MSC. Reference was made to the work of the Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW) in relation to the implementation of the STCW Convention and the formation of the White List.

Regarding the introduction of new issues to the agenda of future IMO meetings: 21 proposals were registered. It should be noted that this is the largest number of proposals in the last 15 years.

IAMU jointly with the delegation of the Philippines, prepared and submitted a document MSC 101/21/ Proposal for a new output on the development of provisions on quality of onboard training of prospective officers for consideration. Besides, regarding the issue of onboard training, the delegation of Mexico presented a document MSC 101/21/18/ Proposal for a new output on mandatory seagoing service for candidates for certification under the STCW Convention, as amended.

As a result of the discussion, both of these issues were included in the agenda of the next Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW7).

During the work of MSC 101, three working groups were established:

1. Regulatory scoping exercise for the use of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS);
2. Development of further measures to enhance the safety of ships relating to the use of fuel oil;
3. Goal-based new ship construction standarts;

As a result of the 101 meetings of the MSC, 38 new MSC IMO Resolutions, addenda to the existing IMO Conventions and Codes were proposed and adopted; 16 new MSC IMO Circulars were developed and approved; addendum to the 18 existing MSC IMO Circulars were reviewed and approved.

These documents made amendments both to the IMO conventions and documents already in force, and served as the entry into force of the requirements of the international instruments of the International Maritime Organization.

The Committee of MSC 102 is to be held from 10 till 22 May, 2020; MSC 103 is planned for November, 2020.