Malaysia Ratifies FAL Convention

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaty enhancing communication between ships and ports to help shipments move more quickly, more easily and more efficiently has been ratified by Malaysia.

According to the UN body, this brings the number of contracting States to the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention) to 123.

Captain Haji Samad, Alternate Permanent Representative of Malaysia to IMO, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters, London (10 April) to deposit the instrument of accession.

IMO’s Facilitation Committee is meeting for its 43rd session (8-12 April) this week, coinciding with the entry into effect of new requires for all public authorities to introduce electronic exchange of information between ships and ports.

Amendments to the Facilitation Convention were adopted in 2016 and they entered into force on 1 January 2017.  The FAL Convention amendments make it mandatory for ships and ports to exchange FAL data electronically from 8 April 2019.  There is provision for a transitional period of at least 12 months, during which paper and electronic documents are allowed.

The FAL Convention encourages use of the so-called “single window” concept in which all the many agencies and authorities involved exchange data via a single point of contact. The maritime single window system allows for the streamlining of procedures, via electronic systems, for provision of information related to the arrival, stay and departure of the ship itself, and data on its crew, passengers and cargo, in accordance with the requirements of the FAL Convention.