HAVING ADOPTED amendments to the International Convention
for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended (hereinafter referred
to as "the Convention"), concerning special measures to enhance maritime
safety and security,
RECOGNIZING the important contribution that the implementation
of the special measures adopted will make towards the safe and secure
operation of ships, for pollution prevention and for the safety and
security of those on board and ashore,
RECOGNIZING ALSO that the task of implementing the requirements
of chapter XI-2 of the Convention
and of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code (hereinafter referred to as "the Code") will place
a significant burden on Contracting Governments, Administrations,
recognized security organizations,
RECALLING that the Code from 1 July 2004, requires each
ship to which the provisions of chapter
XI-2 of the Convention and part A of
the Code apply, to be provided with an appropriate Ship Security Plan,
RECALLING ALSO that each such ship is required to be provided
with an International Ship Security Certificate not later than 1 July
2004,
RECOGNIZING FURTHER that the process of verifying the compliance
of a ship, to which the provisions of chapter
XI-2 of the Convention and part A of
the Code apply, with the requirements of the chapter
XI-2 and of the Code cannot be undertaken until the Ship Security
Plan has been approved and its provisions have been implemented on
board,
DESIRING to ensure the smooth implementation of the provisions
of chapter XI-2 of the Convention
and of the Code,
BEARING IN MIND the difficulties experienced during implementation
of the International Safety Management (ISM)
Code,
1. DRAWS the attention of Contracting Governments
to the Convention and the industry to the fact that neither chapter XI-2 of the Convention nor the
Code provide for any extension of the implementation dates for the
introduction of the special measures concerned to enhance maritime
security;
2. URGES Contracting Governments to take, as a
matter of high priority, any action needed to finalize as soon as
possible any legislative or administrative arrangements, which are
required at the national level, to give effect to the requirements
of the adopted amendments to the Convention (and the Code) relating
to the certification of ships entitled to fly their flag or port facilities
situated in their territory;
3. RECOMMENDS that Contracting Governments and
Administrations concerned designate dates, in advance of the application
date of 1 July 2004 by which requests for:
-
.1 review and approval of Ship Security Plans;
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.2 verification and certification of ships; and
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.3 review and approval of Port Facility Security
Assessments and of Port Facility Security Plans;
should be submitted in order to allow Contracting Governments,
Administrations and recognized security organizations, time to complete
the review and approval and the verification and certification process
and for Companies, ships and port facilities to rectify any non-compliance;
4. INVITES Contracting Governments, on and after
1 July 2004, to recognize and accept as valid and as meeting the requirements
of chapter XI-2 of the Convention
and part A of the Code any:
-
.1 Ship Security Plans approved, prior to 1 July
2004, pursuant to the provisions of part
A of the Code, by Administrations or on their behalf; and
-
.2 International Ship Security Certificates issued,
prior to 1 July 2004, in accordance with the provisions of part A of the Code, by Administrations or
on their behalf;
as far as these relate to ships which, on 1 July 2004, were
entitled to fly the flag of the State of the Administration which,
or on behalf of which, the plan in question was approved or the certificate
in question was issued;
5. FURTHER RECOMMENDS that Contracting Governments
and the industry take early appropriate action to ensure that all
necessary infrastructure is in place in time for the effective implementation
of the adopted measures to enhance maritime security on board ships
and ashore.