1 The Maritime Safety Committee (the Committee),
at its eighty-fifth session (26 November to 5 December 2008), for
the benefit of SOLAS Contracting Governments and Administrations
and, in particular, of those involved in the initial implementation
of the LRIT system, considered a number of amendments to MSC.1/Circ.1256 on Guidance on the
implementation of the LRIT system and approved the Guidance on
the implementation of the LRIT system (the Guidance), as set out
in the annex.
2 The Guidance identifies the primary duties
and obligations of SOLAS Contracting Governments and Administrations
at the initial establishment of the LRIT system and should be read
together with SOLAS regulation V/19-1
and the Revised performance standards and functional requirements
for the long-range identification and tracking of ships adopted
by resolution MSC.263(84).
3 The Committee also agreed to keep the Guidance
under review and to amend it as and when the circumstances so
warrant.
4 SOLAS Contracting Governments are invited to
bring the present circular and its annex to the attention of
those engaged in the implementation of the provisions of
SOLAS regulation V/19-1 and/or
the development and establishment of their LRIT Data Centres and/or
the initial establishment of the LRIT system.
5 The United States, having agreed to provide
the International LRIT Data Exchange on an interim basis, is invited
to bring the present circular to the attention of those involved
in the operation of the International LRIT Data Exchange.
6 SOLAS Contracting Governments are also
invited to bring the present circular and the salient parts
of its annex to the attention of Companies operating ships entitled
to fly their flag which are required to transmit LRIT information
and to provide to such Companies any necessary further guidance and
instruction so as to ensure that the objectives of this circular are
achieved.
7 SOLAS Contracting Governments, international
organizations, non-governmental organizations with consultative
status, the LRIT Coordinator, LRIT Data Centres acting through the
SOLAS Contracting Government(s) which have established them and the
International LRIT Data Exchange, are also invited to bring
to the attention of the Committee, at the earliest opportunity,
the results of the experience gained from the use of the Guidance
for consideration of action to be taken.