RECALLING Article 15(j) of the Convention on the International
Maritime Organisation concerning the functions of the Assembly in
relation to regulations and guidelines concerning maritime safety,
RECALLING ALSO resolution A.489(XII) on safe stowage and securing of cargo units and other entities
in ships other than cellular containerships and MSC/Circ.385 of January
1985 containing the provisions to be included in a cargo securing
manual to be carried on board ships,
RECALLING FURTHER resolution A.533(13) on elements to be
taken into account when considering the safe stowage and securing
of cargo units and vehicle in ships,
CONSIDERING the revised IMO/ILO Guidelines for Packing Cargo
in Freight Containers or Vehicles,
CONSIDERING ALSO resolution A.581(14) on guidelines for
securing arrangements for the transport of road vehicles on ro-ro
ships,
BEARING IN MIND that a number of serious accidents have
occurred as a result of inadequate securing arrangements on board
and deficient stowage and securing of cargoes in vehicles and containers,
and that only proper stowage and securing of cargo on adequately designed
and properly equipped ships can prevent the occurrence of such accidents
in the future,
RECOGNIZING the need to improve the stowage and securing
of cargoes shown by experience to create specific hazards to the safety
of ships, and the stowage and securing of road vehicles transported
on board ro-ro ships,
RECOGNIZING FURTHER that such improvement could be achieved
by the establishment of a composite code of safe practice for cargo
stowage and securing on board ships, including packing or loading
cargo in road vehicle and freight containers,
BELIEVING that the application of such a code of safe practice
would enhance maritime safety,
HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendations made by the Maritime
Safety Committee at its fifty-eighth session,
1. ADOPTS the Code of Safe Practice for Cargo
Stowage and Securing set out in the annex to the present resolution;
2. URGES Governments to implement this Code at
the earliest possible opportunity;
3. REQUESTS the Maritime Safety Committee to keep
this Code under review and to amend it, as necessary;
4. REVOKES resolution A.288(VIII).