RECALLING article 15(j) of the Convention on the
International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the
Assembly in relation to regulations and guidelines concerning maritime
safety and the prevention and control of marine pollution from ships,
RECALLING ALSO that one of the goals of the Organization
is to ensure the consistent and effective implementation of IMO instruments
globally and compliance with their requirements and that, through
resolutions A.777(18) and A.900(21), the Assembly reaffirmed the contents
of resolution A.500(XII) and thus the assignment of the highest priority
to promoting the implementation of international instruments aiming
at improvement of maritime safety and protection of the marine environment,
RECALLING FURTHER that, through resolution A.946(23),
the Assembly approved the establishment and further development of
the Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme (hereinafter referred
to as the Audit Scheme), and requested the Council to develop, as
a matter of high priority, procedures and other modalities for its
implementation,
RECOGNIZING that Parties to international conventions
(such as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea,
1974, as amended (SOLAS 1974) and its 1988 Protocol; the International
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified
by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto, as amended (MARPOL 73/78); the Convention on the International Regulations
for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972, as amended (COLREG 1972); the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966
(LL 1966), as amended by its 1988 Protocol; the International Convention
on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers,
1978, as amended (STCW); and the International
Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969 (TONNAGE
1969) have, as part of the ratification process, accepted to
fully meet their responsibilities and to discharge their obligations
under the conventions and other instruments to which they are party,
REAFFIRMING that States have the primary responsibility
to have in place an adequate and effective system to exercise control
over ships entitled to fly their flag, and to ensure that they comply
with the relevant international rules and regulations,
REAFFIRMING ALSO that States, in their capacity
as port and coastal States, have other obligations and responsibilities
under applicable international law in respect of maritime safety and
security and protection of the marine environment,
NOTING that, while States may realize certain
benefits by becoming Parties to instruments aiming at promoting maritime
safety and security and the prevention of pollution from ships, those
benefits can only be fully realized when all Parties carry out their
obligations as required by the instruments concerned,
NOTING ALSO that the ultimate effectiveness of
any instrument depends, inter alia, upon all Member States
and other States:
-
(a) becoming Parties to all instruments related
to maritime safety, security and pollution prevention and control;
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(b) implementing and enforcing such instruments
fully and effectively;
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(c) reporting to the Organization, as required,
CONSCIOUS of the difficulties that Governments
may face in their wish to comply with all the requirements of the
various IMO instruments to which they are party,
RECOGNIZING the assistance that the Organization's
Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme may provide to the minimization
of the difficulties faced by Governments,
BEING DESIROUS to assist Governments to improve
their capabilities and overall performance in order to comply with
the IMO instruments to which they are party,
BEARING IN MIND that the Audit Scheme contains
references to the Code for the implementation of mandatory IMO
instruments, as appropriate; and that the Code, in addition
to providing guidance for the implementation and enforcement of IMO
instruments, forms the basis of the Audit Scheme, in particular concerning
the identification of the auditable areas,
HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendations made by
the Council at its ninety-fourth regular session and twenty-third
extraordinary session,
1 ADOPTS the Framework and Procedures
for the Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme, set out in the annex
to the present resolution;
2 URGES Governments to:
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(a) volunteer to be audited in accordance with
the said Framework and Procedures, thus contributing to the Organization's
efforts to achieve consistent and effective implementation of its
instruments; and
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(b) consider contributing resources to ensure
the success of the Audit Scheme, which could include, inter
alia, qualified auditors and the support they need to carry
out their duties once appointed as audit team leader or members;
3 REQUESTS the Council to monitor the
implementation of the Audit Scheme with a view to its further improvement
and development and to report to the Assembly, as appropriate.