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FAL 48 approved the revised MASS roadmap, discussed the cybersecurity concerning Maritime Single Window, and approved new guidelines on Port Community Systems.
The Facilitation Committee met in person at IMO Headquarters in London for its forty-eighth session (FAL 48) from 8 to 12 April 2024 (with hybrid participation). The session was chaired by Mr. Watchara Chiemanukulkit (Thailand).
FAL deals with matters related to the facilitation of international maritime traffic, including the arrival, stay and departure of ships, persons and cargo from ports.
The Committee also addresses electronic business, including the single window concept, and aims to ensure that the right balance is struck between regulation and the facilitation of international maritime trade.
IMO today published the full FAL 48 report:
The Committee approved the revised road map on addressing Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) issues related to the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention).
Under the revised roadmap, the Committee is expected to:
The Committee considered the report of the MSC-LEG-FAL Joint Working Group on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS-JWG), which met for its second session in April 2023.
The Committee concurred with a number of elements contained in the report, including the role and responsibilities of the MASS master, MASS crew and remote operation centres. Among these, the Committee concurred, in principle, that:
The third meeting of MASS-JWG will take place on 8-10 May 2024.
The Committee adopted resolution FAL.17(48), containing the revised Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Wildlife on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic. The revision includes minor modifications and editorial changes, with links to new joint industry guidelines added as a useful resource.
The new e-learning course, “Introduction to counter wildlife trafficking in the maritime supply chains”, developed jointly by IMO, the World Maritime University (WMU) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), equips Government Agencies and maritime supply chain operators with actionable insights to effectively combat wildlife trafficking at sea, empowering them to proactively prevent and suppress such illicit activities. The e-learning course on illegal wildlife trafficking will be officially launched in May 2024.
The Committee approved a new version of the IMO Compendium on Facilitation and Electronic Business. The IMO Compendium aims to harmonize the vast array of electronic data exchanged between ships, ports and other stakeholders. It includes IMO data sets and IMO reference model which provide a common format and semantics for such data.
The new IMO Compendium (sixth version) includes the following new and updated data sets:
Since 1 January 2024, all IMO Member States are required to use a single, centralized digital platform or “Maritime Single Window” (MSW) to collect and exchange information with ships when they call at ports. This streamlines procedures to clear the arrival, stay and departure of ships and greatly enhances the efficiency of shipping worldwide.
The Committee heard from Member States who shared their experiences in implementing the MSW, including Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Indonesia and Togo.
Angola and Singapore shared their experience of implementing an MSW system under the SWiFT Project in the Port of Lobito, Angola. The SWiFT project, financed by Singapore, seeks to assist IMO Member States with implementing MSW systems in their ports. The lessons and experience gained from the SWiFT project are expected to contribute towards the implementation of MSWs globally. The Committee expressed deep appreciation to Singapore for assisting fellow IMO Member States with implementing MSW systems in their ports.
The Committee discussed the issue of cybersecurity in relation to MSW and called for Member States to develop and operate their MSWs in a cybersecure and resilient way.
The Committee invited interested Member States and international organizations to contact the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) to prepare the proposal for a new output on the issue to be considered at FAL 49 which could include proposed amendments to the FAL Convention to establish mandatory cybersecurity measures when developing mandatory Maritime Single Windows and the development of a model law on cybersecurity with an explanatory note.
The Committee noted the findings of an industry survey on the current state of digitalization within ports. Of the total respondents, 40% were unaware of the IMO regulations in the FAL Convention mandating MSW systems worldwide. In 64% of the port calls made by the respondents, port authorities were still requiring either paper submissions or a mix of paper and digital submissions. On average, respondents spent more than three hours (191 minutes) preparing and submitting the necessary documents required at every single port call.
The survey indicated a need for standardized and harmonized digital systems across ports globally, given the wide range of different port call interfaces and documentation among Member States, as well as the lack of IT infrastructure on many ships that would enable more efficient data exchange with ports.
The Committee agreed to continue discussions on the development of an overarching IMO strategy on digitalization at the next session, under a new output at FAL 49 (subject to the Council’s endorsement), and the recommendations from the survey will be discussed under the new output on IMO digitalization strategy.
The Committee approved new guidelines on Port Community Systems. Port Community Systems (PCS) serve as a complementary instrument to the Maritime Single Window (MSW) system. Both are digital IT platforms used to collect and exchange data between stakeholders, streamlining operations and enhancing competitiveness. PCS facilitates the exchange of information between public and private stakeholders involved in port and terminal operations.
The PCS guidelines provide a common understanding of PCS, the role of PCS within harmonization, standardization and interoperability, interaction between PCS and MSW environments, as well as provide baseline considerations for PCS development.
The Committee approved the revised Explanatory Manual to the FAL Convention. This manual guides interpreting the legal text of the Facilitation and its provisions and gives examples of best practices for implementing Standards and Recommended Practices. The review of the manual commenced after the revised FAL Convention was adopted in May 2022.
The revised explanatory manual now includes guidance on the new global standards on illicit activities, maritime corruption and the response to a public health emergency of international concern, amongst others. It includes also guidance on major updates of the last amendments to the FAL Convention on standards as well as recommended practices related to issues such as stowaways, electronic transmission of data between ports and ships, and various procedures for arrival and departure of ships and passengers.
The Committee agreed to include, in the 2024-2025 biennial agenda of the FAL Committee and the provisional agenda for FAL 49, the following outputs:
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