1 The Maritime Safety Committee (the Committee),
at its ninety-fourth session (17 to 21 November 2014), having considered
a number of issues related to the drafting of amendments to the International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended (the Convention)
and related mandatory instruments, from the initial proposal and preparation
process to the approval and adoption stages and entry into force of
amendments, approved the Guidance on drafting of amendments
to the 1974 SOLAS Convention and related
mandatory instruments
(the Guidance), as set out in the annex.
2 Without prejudicing the amendments procedure
specified in article VIII of the Convention and the provisions set
out in MSC-MEPC.1/Circ.4/Rev.3 on Guidelines on the organization
and method of work of the Maritime Safety Committee and the Marine
Environment Protection Committee and their subsidiary bodies (the
Committee's Guidelines), the information contained in the annex provides
relevant guidance for the drafting of amendments to the Convention
and related mandatory instruments, including procedural aspects related
to the approval and adoption of amendments.
3 Contracting Governments to the Convention are
invited to take into account the provisions of the present guidance
when submitting proposals for amendments in accordance with article
VIII(b)(i) of the Convention and/or proposals for new planned/unplanned
outputs in accordance with paragraph 4.7 of the Committee's Guidelines.
4 The Committee and its subsidiary bodies, including
working groups and drafting groups should take into account the present
Guidance during the preparation of draft amendments to the Convention
and related mandatory instruments, as well as during the approval
and adoption stages.
5 Member States and the Committee's subsidiary
bodies are invited to bring to the attention of the Committee the
results of experience gained from the use of this guidance and to
make recommendations for improvements, as appropriate.