[ 1967 ] Part 2 Chapter 14 the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO)
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THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL MARITIME CONSULTATIVE ORGANIZATION 917 SENIOR MEMBERS OF WMO SECRETARIAT Secretary-General: D. A. Davies Special Assistant for Technical Policies and Pro- Deputy Secretary-General: J. R. Rivet grammes: G. Tarakanov Director, Scientific and Technical Department: K. Special Assistant for WWW Management and Co- Langlo ordination: B. Zavos Director, Technical Co-operation Department: H. Sebastian PRESIDENTS OF REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND TECHNICAL COMMISSIONS REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS I. Africa: M. Seck (Senegal) IV. North and Central America: J. R. H. Noble II. Asia: M. H. Ganji (Iran) (Canada) III. South America: A. Garcia (Ecuador) V. South West Pacific: K. Rajendram (Singapore) VI. Europe: M. Perovic (Yugoslavia) TECHNICAL COMMISSIONS Atmospheric Sciences: J. F. Gabites (New Zealand) Hydrometeorology: M. A. Kohler (United States) Aeronautical Meteorology: N. A. Lieurance (United Instruments and Methods of Observation: V. D. States) Rockney (United States) Agricultural Meteorology: L. P. Smith (United Maritime Meteorology: K. T. McLeod (Canada) Kingdom) Synoptic Meteorology: S. N. Sen (India) Climatology: C. C. Boughner (Canada) HEADQUARTERS World Meteorological Organization 41, Avenue Giuseppe Motta Geneva, Switzerland Cable Address: METEOMOND GENEVA CHAPTER XIV THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL MARITIME CONSULTATIVE ORGANIZATION (IMCO) During 1967, the activities of the Inter-Govern- and Hong Kong an associate member on 7 June. mental Maritime Consultative Organization The fifth regular session of the IMCO As- (IMCO)1 were focused mainly on oil pollution sembly adopted a work programme and budget of the sea and on various measures having to for the financial period 1968-1969. The IMCO do with safety of life at sea. Council was convened on three occasions during Also carried forward during the year were the year and, at its eighteenth session in June IMCO's programmes concerned with the facili- 1967, elected Colin Goad, the then Deputy tation of navigation and technical assistance in Secretary-General, to succeed Jean Roullier as the maritime field. Secretary-General of the organization. The elec- The programme of meetings during the year tion was confirmed by the fifth Assembly in included an extraordinary session of the IMCO October, Mr. Goad's term of office to begin on Council in May, and the fifth regular session 1 January 1968. of the IMCO Assembly in October. On 6 October 1967, amendments to articles In 1967, the agency's membership rose to 65 members and one associate member, the Maldive 1 For earlier information about IMCO, see previous Islands having become a member on 31 May, volumes of Y.U.N. 918 THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS 17 and 18 of the constitutive Convention of the International Convention for the Safety the organization entered into force and the of Life at Sea, 1960, or deposited instruments IMCO Council was thereby increased from 16 with that intention. These States were: to 18 members, with the provisions for their Australia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, election to include the principle of geographical Ireland. Mauritania, Nicaragua, Somalia and representation. The first enlarged Council was South Africa. As at the end of 1967, the total elected at the October session of the Assembly. number of States which had become parties to (For details of membership, see ANNEX below.) the Convention or had deposited instruments of intention to become parties stood at 67. PREVENTION OF SEA POLLUTION BY OIL A second series of amendments to the 1960 As a result of the stranding of the tanker Convention was adopted by the fifth session of Torrey Canyon in March 1967, an extraordinary the IMCO Assembly in October 1967. Like the session of the IMCO Council was convened on earlier amendments adopted in 1966, many of 4 and 5 May to discuss the problems brought to these were directed towards the improvement light by the disaster. The Council laid down of fire safety measures for ships. Others con- an 18-point work programme to be carried out cerned such matters as life-saving appliances, urgently. This involved both technical and legal radiotelephony in areas of high traffic density elements and was based on a threefold approach and the requirements of certain new types of to the problem of pollution of the sea and maritime craft. coastal areas by crude oil and other such Outside the scope of the 1960 Convention, cargoes. The three points covered: (1) preven- but of particular importance to safe navigation, tive measures; (2) measures limiting the extent were a number of recommended measures which of damage; and (3) changes in international were issued in 1967, advising mariners to follow law. Priority was to be given by IMCO's Mari- the principle of traffic separation and recom- time Safety Committee to the navigational and mended routes in congested areas or in areas other technical aspects of the first two kinds where shipping converges. of measures, and the Council established a Legal Committee to deal with the intricate legal SUBDIVISION AND aspects involved. STABILITY PROBLEMS This Committee met twice in 1967 and created IMCO's Sub-Committee on Subdivision and two working groups which held sessions in Stability developed intact stability recommenda- September. The Committee's mandate was tions for fishing vessels as well as for passenger divided, in terms of the Torrey Canyon work and cargo ships up to 100 metres in length programme, between questions of public inter- which, when approved, would be disseminated national law, and those relating to private law to Governments. ("Intact stability" refers to concerning the nature, extent and amount of the stability of a ship which has not in any liability in cases of large-scale pollution, and by way been damaged.) These recommendations whom this liability should be borne. Any other contained recommended stability criteria, as- legal matters would be put before the Commit- sumptions for calculating stability curves, and tee as they arose. guidance for approximate determination of ship The results of the Torrey Canyon work pro- stability by means of the rolling period test. gramme were to be submitted to an extraordin- The stability requirements of the 1960 Safety ary session of the IMCO Assembly in 1968. Convention for ships carrying grain in bulk The amendments (adopted in 1962) to the were under review. International Convention for the Prevention of The Sub-Committee reviewed subdivision and Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954, entered into damage stability requirements of the 1960 Safety force in May 1967. Convention for passenger ships and was develop- ing new improved requirements; it was also INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION studying subdivision and damage stability of FOR SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA cargo ships. ("Subdivision" means the dividing In 1967, nine States either became parties to of the ship's hull into a number of watertight THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL MARITIME CONSULTATIVE ORGANIZATION 919 compartments, so that the ship can remain training of masters and officers, and the opera- afloat and stable after one or more compartments tional requirements to ensure safe navigation of are flooded by collision or stranding. "Damage air-cushion vehicles and hydrofoil boats. Among stability" refers to the stability of a ship after other subjects under review were navigational it has been damaged.) problems associated with drilling platforms and navigation via satellites. SHIP DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT The IMCO Sub-Committee on Ship Design RADIO-COMMUNICATIONS and Equipment was established in order to In preparation for the World Administrative carry out the study of design, construction and Radio Conference, which was held in Geneva, equipment of ships carrying chemicals in bulk, Switzerland, later in 1967, to revise the Radio and also of large tankers and other ships carry- Regulations pertaining to the Maritime Mobile ing noxious or hazardous cargoes. The first Service (see also p. 906), a study was made meeting of the Sub-Committee was scheduled by IMCO of all agenda items of the Conference for January 1968. to assist member Governments in formulating their views. LOAD LINES During 1967, amendments to the Regulations The International Convention on Load Lines, were introduced, providing for the use of VHF 1966, was to come into force on 21 July 1968. (very high frequency) facilities by ships in The Convention prescribed the minimum free- areas where the traffic density so warranted. A board or maximum draught to which a ship general review and study of the maritime dis- might safely be loaded. It reflected recent tech- tress system was being undertaken, in co-opera- nical developments, and was directed towards tion with the International Telecommunication increased efficiency in the carrying of cargo and Union (ITU), with a view to improving the improvement of maritime safety. (The load line system. is the mark on the side of a ship which indicates Other main subjects under study included the depth to which it can be loaded with safety.) the use of radio-communications via satellites, radio requirements for drilling platforms, radio TONNAGE MEASUREMENT direction finding on 2 Mc/s (megacycles per The size and earning capacity of a ship are second), self-supporting antennae, performance indicated by gross and net tonnages respectively, specification of shipborne radio equipment, and which are expressed in register tons, one ton reliability of the radio-telegraph auto alarm. being equal in volume to 100 cubic feet. Gross and net tonnages are evaluated according