USCG Outlines Draft IMO Security Proposal

At a public meeting on January 3, the Coast Guard unveiled the security initiatives it plans to propose at an upcoming special session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on maritime security. Over the next year, IMO will review measures and procedures to prevent acts of terrorism that threaten the safety of vessels and the security of passengers and crews. The Coast Guard will also hold a public workshop January 28-30 to discuss security procedures, programs, and capabilities within the domestic marine transportation system. The Coast Guard is soliciting public comments on its proposal to IMO before it presents draft recommendations at an intersessional meeting of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) on February 11-15. The MSC will meet again in May to develop amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) that IMO will vote upon at an international conference on maritime security slated for December 2002. The initiatives the Coast Guard is considering proposing range from vessel equipment to increased portside security and would apply to vessels currently subject to SOLAS (vessels over 300 gross tons engaged on international voyages, and vessels over 500 gross tons on any voyage). Source: AWO Newsletter