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 section A-VIII/2,
Part 2 (Voyage planning) of the Seafarers' Training, Certification
and Watchkeeping Code,
RECALLING FURTHER the essential requirements contained in
the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification
and Watchkeeping for Seafarers and the International Convention for
the Safety of Life at Sea concerning voyage planning, including those
relating to officers and crew, shipborne equipment, and safety management
systems,
RECOGNIZING the essential importance for safety of life
at sea, safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment
of a well planned voyage, and therefore the need to update the 1978
Guidance on voyage planning issued as SN/Circ.92,
NOTING the request of the Assembly in resolution A.790(19)
that the Maritime Safety Committee consider the issue of voyage planning
in conjunction with its review of the Code for the Safe Carriage of
Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Radioactive Wastes
in Flasks on Board Ships (INF Code), and the
Committee's decision that consideration of the issue of voyage planning
should not be restricted to vessels carrying materials subject to
the INF Code but should apply to all ships
engaged on international voyages,
HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendation made by the Sub-Committee
on Safety of Navigation at its forty-fifth session:
1 ADOPTS the Guidelines for voyage planning set
out in the Annex to the present resolution;
2 INVITES Governments to bring the annexed Guidelines
to the attention of masters of vessels flying their countries' flag,
shipowners, ship operators, shipping companies, maritime pilots, training
institutions and all other parties concerned, for information and
action as appropriate;
3 REQUESTS the Maritime Safety Committee to keep
the said Guidelines under review and to amend them as appropriate.