RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International
Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Committee,
RECALLING ALSO resolution A.744(18) by
which the Assembly adopted the Guidelines on the enhanced programme
of inspections during surveys of bulk carriers and oil tankers (the
Guidelines),
RECALLING FURTHER article VIII(b) and regulation XI/2 of
the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974 (hereinafter referred to as “the
Convention”) concerning the procedure for amending the Guidelines,
NOTING that the Assembly, when adopting resolution A.744(18), requested the Maritime Safety
Committee and the Marine Environment Protection Committee to keep
the Guidelines under review and update them as necessary, in the light
of experience gained in their application,
NOTING ALSO resolutions MSC.49(66), MSC.105(73), MSC.125(75)
and resolution 2 of the 1997 Conference of Contracting Governments
to the Convention, by which amendments to resolution A.744(18) were adopted by the Maritime
Safety Committee and the Conference of Contracting Governments to
the Convention, in accordance with article VIII(b) and regulation
XI/2 of the Convention,
HAVING CONSIDERED, at its seventy-seventh session, amendments
to the Guidelines proposed and circulated in accordance with article
VIII(b)(i) of the Convention,
1 ADOPTS, in accordance with article VIII(b)(iv)
of the Convention, amendments to the Guidelines on the enhanced programme
of inspections during surveys of bulk carriers and oil tankers, the
text of which is set out in the Annex to the present resolution;
2 DETERMINES, in accordance with article VIII(b)(vi)(2)(bb)
of the Convention, that the amendments shall be deemed to have been
accepted on 1 July 2004, unless, prior to that date, more than one
third of the Contracting Governments to the Convention or Contracting
Governments the combined merchant fleets of which constitute not less
than 50% of the gross tonnage of the world's merchant fleet, have
notified their objections to the amendments;
3 INVITES Contracting Governments to note that,
in accordance with article VIII(b)(vii)(2) of the Convention, the
amendments shall enter into force on 1 January 2005 upon their acceptance
in accordance with paragraph 2 above;
4 REQUESTS the Secretary-General, in conformity
with article VIII(b)(v) of the Convention, to transmit certified copies
of the present resolution and the text of the amendments contained
in the Annex to all Contracting Governments to the Convention;
5 FURTHER REQUESTS the Secretary-General to transmit
copies of this resolution and its Annex to Members of the Organization,
which are not Contracting Governments to the Convention.