1 Maritime Safety Information (MSI) concerning
acts of piracy and piracy counter-measure operations is broadcast
through the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS) in accordance
with the general guidance and requirements contained in MSC.1/Circ.1310: Revised Joint IMO/IHO/WMO
Manual on Maritime Safety Information (Joint MSI Manual) and the International
SafetyNET Manual. These operational procedures provide specific additional
guidance for naval and military authorities involved in the gathering
and interpretation of information on acts of piracy and piracy counter-measure
operations, and NAVAREA or National Coordinators within the WWNWS
who are responsible for originating the broadcasts.
2 A piracy attack warning should be broadcast
as an "URGENT" NAVAREA or Coastal Warning immediately on receipt of
the source information and at least at the next scheduled broadcast
or for as long as the information remains valid.
3 Naval or military authorities wishing to provide
information on acts of piracy and piracy counter-measure operations
for broadcast under these procedures should nominate a Military Navigational
Warning Coordinator (MNWC) for all matters related to the release
and coordination of information for broadcast. Contact details for
the MNWC should be notified to the IMO Secretariat (info@imo.org)
and the IHO (info@ihb.mc), who will inform the chairman of the IHO
World-Wide Navigational Warnings Service Sub-Committee (IHO WWNWS-SC).
4 As the single point of contact for the WWNWS
in this regard, the Chairman of the IHO WWNWS-SC should nominate an
alternative to act on his behalf in the event that he is not available
at any time.
5 Draft messages concerning piracy and piracy
counter-measures for input into the WWNWS should be routed through
the MNWC to the Chairman of the IHO WWNWS-SC.
6 The Chairman of the IHO WWNWS-SC should:
-
.1 check messages for format in accordance with
the Joint MSI Manual;
-
.2 liaise with MNWC if any changes are needed
to the draft; and
-
.3 forward the approved text to the relevant NAVAREA
or National Coordinator(s) for broadcast.
7 Personnel providing navigational warnings concerning
acts of piracy and piracy counter-measure operations should have a
working knowledge of:
-
..1 SOLAS chapter IV and the GMDSS;
-
.2
MSC.1/Circ.1310 and
resolutions A.705(17) Promulgation of Maritime Safety Information,
as amended, and A.706(17) World Wide Navigational Warning Service,
as amended, including the use of standardized texts and message formats;
and
-
.3 the legal definitions of piracy; relevant parts
of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), particularly
as they apply to territorial waters limits; and other political and
operational issues related to the environment in which they are operating.
8 Naval and military authorities should avoid
requesting broadcasts that give instructions to merchant shipping
and instead phrase their warnings in factual and/or advisory terms.
9 Naval and military authorities providing information
for broadcast may wish to install facilities to receive Inmarsat-C
SafetyNET and, where appropriate, NAVTEX so that they can monitor
the broadcast of messages.
10 MNWCs are responsible for informing the Chairman
of the IHO WWNWS-SC as appropriate, when the information is no longer
valid.
11 Once the MNWC has forwarded information to
the Chairman of the IHO WWNWS-SC for broadcast, the final decision
on what to broadcast and how this is done rests with the NAVAREA or
National Coordinator concerned. This decision should be guided by
resolution A.706(17), as amended, the International SafetyNET Manual
and MSC.1/Circ.1310, and be taken
in the light of all other information on hand.