RECALLING Article 15(j) of the Convention on the International
Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Assembly in
relation to regulations and guidelines concerning maritime safety
and the prevention and control of marine pollution from ships,
BELIEVING that the enhancement of maritime safety and pollution
prevention and the prevention of maritime fraud could be facilitated
if a permanent identification number were assigned to a ship which
would remain unchanged upon transfer of its flag and would be inserted
on the ship's certificates,
RECALLING ALSO that, by resolution A.600(15), it adopted the IMO Ship Identification Number Scheme,
RECOGNIZING the need for the IMO Ship Identification
Number Scheme to be revised to allow its voluntary application
to ships of 100 gross tonnage and above, including fishing vessels,
HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendation made by the Maritime
Safety Committee at its ninety-second session,
1 ADOPTS the IMO Ship Identification Number
Scheme, for implementation on a voluntary basis, as set out
in the annex to the present resolution;
2 INVITES Governments concerned to implement the
scheme, as far as it is practicable, and to inform the Organization
of measures taken in this respect;
3 REQUESTS the Maritime Safety Committee to keep
the scheme under review for further improvement as may be necessary;