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 the need to address and establish appropriate
measures to enhance the security of ships and of port facilities in
aspects other than those covered by chapter
XI-2 of the Convention,
RECALLING that the Convention on Facilitation of International
Maritime Traffic, 1965 already contains requirements related to the
provision to administrations of commercial data related to the movement
of cargoes by sea,
RECOGNIZING FURTHER the need to include, in due course,
in the Convention appropriate requirements to address specifically
the security of closed cargo transport units (hereinafter referred
to as "closed CTUs") and that such requirements will further enhance
and positively contribute towards the international efforts to ensure
maritime security and to prevent and suppress acts threatening the
security in the maritime transport sector,
FURTHERMORE RECOGNIZING the inter-modal and international
nature of closed CTUs movements, the need to ensure security of the
complete supply chain and the respective roles of, all those involved,
RECALLING ALSO the role of frontier agencies, in particular
Customs Administrations, in controlling the international movement
of closed CTUs,
COGNIZANT of the competencies and work of the World Customs
Organization (hereinafter referred to as "the WCO") in the area of
international maritime transport,
RECALLING FURTHER the long-standing co-operation of the
International Maritime Organization (hereinafter referred to as "the
Organization") with the WCO in the area of international maritime
transport,
NOTING with satisfaction the signing on 23 July 2002 of
a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the co-operation between
the two Organizations,
1. INVITES the WCO to consider, urgently, measures
to enhance security throughout international movements of closed CTUs;
2. REQUESTS the Secretary-General of the Organization
to contribute expertise relating to maritime transport and, in particular,
to the carriage of closed CTUs' by sea to the discussions at the WCO;
3. AGREES that the Convention should be amended,
if and when appropriate, to give effect to relevant decisions taken
by the WCO and endorsed by the Contracting Governments to the Convention
insofar as they relate to the carriage of closed CTUs by sea;
4. REQUESTS the Secretary-General of the Organization
to transmit a copy of this resolution to the Secretary-General of
the WCO.