6 Procedures for Preparation and Submission of Documents
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6 Procedures for Preparation and Submission of Documents

Preparation of documents

6.1 Documents should be prepared in single spacing and be as concise as possible so as to facilitate their timely processing. In order to enhance the clear understanding of documents, the following should be observed:

  • .1 all documents should be preceded by a brief summary prepared in the form, and containing the information, indicated in the table below. Documents, especially proposals for the inclusion of an unplanned output, – should demonstrate, where feasible, the linkages to the Strategic and High-level Action Plans by including, in the summary, references to the related strategic direction(s), high-level action(s) and planned output(s):

    SUMMARY
    Executive summary: This description should be brief, outlining the proposed objective (an amendment, an Assembly resolution, a circular, information only, etc.), and include information on whether a proposal will have any financial implications for the shipping industry or for the IMO budget.
    Strategic direction: A reference should be made to one or more relevant strategic directions in the Organization's Strategic Plan.
    High-level action: A reference should be made to one or more corresponding high-level actions in the Organization's High-level Action Plan.
    Planned output: A reference should be made to one or more corresponding planned outputs in the biennial's High-level Action Plan. If there is no corresponding planned output, an appropriate descriptive text should be included.
    Action to be taken: A reference should be made to the paragraph of the document that states the action to be taken by the Committee, sub-committee, etc.
    Related documents: Other key documents should be listed to the extent that they are known to the originator of the document.

  • .2 substantive documents should conclude with a summary of the action the relevant body is invited to take; and

  • .3 information documents should conclude with a summary of the information they contain.

6.2 To facilitate their processing, documents should be submitted on a USB flash drive or by email to info@imo.org, preferably in Microsoft Word using Arial font size 11. Hard copies of documents may also be submitted or requested, to facilitate processing of the document, e.g. by attachment of annexes to main texts, and to check that none of the text has been garbled during sending or conversion.

6.3 Documents made available at IMO, 13 weeks or more before a session, should not be introduced in the plenary unless the Chairman decides that this is essential for the proper consideration of the matter concerned. Information documents and documents requiring no action by the Committees or their subsidiary bodies other than for their contents to be noted should not be introduced in the plenary.

6.4 To indicate the importance of documents containing proposed amendments to IMO instruments related to maritime safety, maritime security and protection of the marine environment which have been approved for adoption by MSC or MEPC, such documents will be identifiable on the IMO document website (IMODOCS) by background highlighting in pink.

6.5 Documents containing proposed amendments to mandatory instruments should be presented in a format that permits clear identification of the changes being introduced (e.g. use of underlined and strike-through text).

6.6 Reports of the Committees and their subsidiary bodies should, in general, contain under each section only:

  • .1 a summary of key documents and a list of other documents submitted by Member Governments, international organizations or the Secretariat;

  • .2 a summary of the views expressed during consideration of an item that may have influenced the decision taken by the reporting body (but not allowing the reports to turn into summary records), with statements by delegations included only at their express request during the session; and

  • .3 a record of the decisions taken.

6.7 In drafting recommendations, codes or guidelines, cross references should, whenever possible, be made to texts and terminology previously developed by IMO or other organizations. This will avoid unnecessary duplication and reduce the need for excessively detailed provisions and for subsequent harmonization.

6.8 The Chairmen of subsidiary bodies should not introduce their reports to the Committees as these should be taken as read.

6.9 With respect to urgent matters emanating from sessions of subsidiary bodies or IMO bodies other than the Council and the Assembly, which have taken place less than 13 weeks before a session of a Committee, the Committee should consider only such urgent matters as may have been specified by it at a prior session. As a general rule, the Committee should not consider reports or matters emanating from any subsidiary body session which has taken place less than nine weeks prior to the Committee's session. In exceptional cases, a subsidiary body may invite the Committee to take action on a matter that the subsidiary body considers to be urgent and important emanating from a session that took place less than nine weeks prior to the Committee's session. In such cases, the subsidiary body Chairman should consult the Committee Chairman for approval of the contemplated action.

6.10 All concerned should be continuously aware of the financial and environmental impact of the volume of documentation generated by IMO meetings and should limit, to the greatest possible extent, the number of pages of documents submitted to such meetings. For information, the current arrangements in the Secretariat for the production of working papers during meetings are described in annex 4.

6.11 To encourage the action referred to in paragraph 6.10 above, documents other than information documents and reports from the Committees and subsidiary bodies, working, drafting, correspondence and other reporting groups and the Secretariat, which contain more than 20 pages, should not be translated in their entirety. They should include, for translation purposes, a summary of the document not longer than four pages, with the remaining content submitted as an annex in the language (e.g. English) that may be needed, for example, by working groups.

Submission of documents

6.12 To ensure that all documents are available at IMO Headquarters in all three working languages well in time for a session of a Committee or subsidiary body, so as to enable the timely study of documents and promote participation by all Members in the decision-making process of the Committees and their subsidiary bodies, the following provisions apply:

  • .1 as a general rule, documents, other than information documents and reports of Committees and subsidiary bodies, working, drafting, correspondence and other reporting groups and the Secretariat, should not contain more than 50 pages. In the case of reports from working, drafting, correspondence or other reporting groups and in other exceptional circumstances, this number of pages may be exceeded, provided that the deadline for receipt of the document by the Secretariat, as specified in subparagraphs .2 and .3 below, is extended by one week for every 20 pages exceeding 50 pages;

  • .2 documents containing proposals for inclusion of unplanned outputs should be received by the Secretariat not later than 13 weeks before the opening of the relevant Committee session. They should be made available at IMO Headquarters and on the IMO document website, in the Organization's three working languages, not later than 5 weeks before the opening of the session;

  • .3 documents (including information documents) containing more than 6 pages of text (bulky documents) should be received by the Secretariat no later than 13 weeks before the opening of the relevant session of a Committee or subsidiary body. However, bulky information documents submitted in electronic format may be accepted by the Secretariat if they are received no later than 9 weeks before the session concerned. They should be made available at IMO Headquarters and on the IMO document website, in the Organization's three working languages, except for information documents (which should not be translated), not later than 5 weeks before the opening of the session;

  • .4 non-bulky documents commenting on those referred to in subparagraphs .2 and .3 above, or on items already on the agenda, should be received by the Secretariat no later than 9 weeks before the opening of the relevant session of a Committee or subsidiary body. They should be made available at IMO Headquarters and on the IMO document website, in the Organization's three working languages, not later than 5 weeks before the opening of the session;

  • .5 notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph .4 above, documents commenting on those referred to in subparagraphs .2, .3 and .4 above containing 4 pages or less should be processed if received by the Secretariat not later than 7 weeks before the opening of the relevant session of a Committee or subsidiary body. These documents should start with a paragraph clearly indicating the document on which comments are made and stating that the document is submitted in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 6.12.5 of these guidelines. They should be made available at IMO Headquarters and on the IMO document website, in the Organization's three working languages, not later than 4 weeks before the opening of the session;

  • .6 non-bulky information documents should be received by the Secretariat not later than 9 weeks before the opening of the relevant session of a Committee or subsidiary body. They should not be translated and should be made available at IMO Headquarters and on the IMO document website not later than 5 weeks before the opening of the session. No action will be taken on the basis of an information document only, other than to take note of it;

  • .7 in addition and with reference to reports of subsidiary bodies on the basis of which a Committee is normally invited to take action, every possible effort should be made to ensure that such reports are made available at IMO Headquarters and on the IMO document website, in the Organization's three working languages, not later than 5 weeks before the opening of the session; and

  • .8 in the case of basic documents submitted to a Committee reporting on urgent matters emanating from sessions of subsidiary bodies referred to in paragraph 6.9 which met less than 13 weeks before the Committee's session, such basic documents should include as an annex the text (e.g. draft Assembly resolutions, draft MSC circulars, etc.) on which the Committee will be invited to take action.

6.13 The Secretariat should make every effort to ensure the timely posting of documents on the IMO document website. Member Governments and international organizations should also endeavour to submit documents as early as possible and not just by the relevant deadlines.

6.14 The Secretariat should strictly apply the above provisions concerning the submission of documents and not accept late submissions from Member Governments or international organizations. Any exemption from these provisions should have the prior authorization of the Chairman of the Committee concerned, following consultations with the Secretariat. In exceptional circumstances, requiring immediate action by the Committee, a relevant document to that end consisting of no more than four pages should be received by the Secretariat not later than nine weeks before the opening of the session of the body concerned and be made available at IMO Headquarters, in the Organization's three working languages, not later than five weeks before the opening of the session. The Committee would consider such a document only if it decides to do so at the opening of its session.

6.15 In the exceptional cases referred to in paragraph 6.9, when a subsidiary body invites a Committee to take action on urgent matters emanating from a session that took place less than nine weeks prior to the Committee's session, documents commenting on those urgent matters containing four pages or less should be processed if received by the Secretariat not later than seven weeks before the opening of any session of the Committee concerned. Such documents should start with a paragraph clearly indicating the document on which comments are made and stating that the document is submitted in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 6.15 of these guidelines. They should be made available at IMO Headquarters, in the three working languages, not later than four weeks before the opening of the session.

Parent topic: Annex – Guidelines on the Organization and Method of Work of the Maritime Safety Committee and the Marine Environment Protection Committee and their Subsidiary Bodies
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