Ref.T2/4.1.3 MSC/Circ.948
26May2000
1 TheCommittee,atitsseventy-secondsession(17to26May2000),notedaprogressreportonthe evaluation of information which had been communicated by STCW Parties before 1 August 1998 and expresseditsregretthat,duetotheslowpaceofprogresssofarachieved,theSecretary-Generalhadnotbeen abletomakehisreportonPartieswhichhadbeenfoundtogivefullandcompleteeffecttotheprovisionsof
therevisedSTCWConvention,asoriginallyplanned.
2 InrecognizingthesignificanceoftheSecretary-General'sreportintheeffectiveimplementationof
the Convention by STCW Parties and the impact it will have on the shipping industry, the Committee considereditessentialthateveryeffortshouldbemadetoenableMSC73totaketheactioncontemplatedby STCWregulationI/7,paragraph3. AstheCommitteehadpreviouslydecided(MSC69/22,paragraph7.10) thattheSecretary-General'sreportshouldonlybesubmittedafteralltheinformationcommunicatedbyParties receivedby1August1998hadbeenevaluated,itnowrecognizedthatallevaluationsshouldbecompletedin timefortheSecretary-GeneraltomakehisreportpursuanttoSTCWregulationI/7,paragraph2,toMSC73.
InthisregardtheCommitteerequestedtheSTCWPartiesconcernedandcompetentpersons,underthe supervisionoftheSecretary-General,toactinaccordancewiththetimetablegivenatannex.
3 TheCommitteestronglyurgedMemberGovernments,PartiestotheSTCWConvention,torespond
to requests for clarifications without undue delay and to ensure that the competent persons they have nominatedaregiveneveryopportunityandarepromptedtocompletetheirevaluationsinatimelymannerto enabletheSecretary-GeneraltomakehisreporttoMSC73inNovember/December2000.
4 TheCommitteeagreedthatnoSTCWPartyshouldbeunfairlypenalizedduetoapanelofcompetent personsbeingunabletotakeactioninatimelymanner,eventhoughthePartyhadsubmittedinformationin accordancewiththeprovisionsoftheConventionandhadprovidedtimelyclarificationsinresponsetorequests fromthepanelofcompetentpersons.
5 Intheeventthatoneormorepanelsareunabletocompletetheirworkby1October2000,andin ordertoavoidunfairtreatmentofanyPartyandalsotoprovideeveryopportunityfortheSecretary-General
tomakehisreporttoMSC73,theCommitteedecidedthatthefollowingactionsshouldbetaken:
.1 theSecretary-Generaltonotify,by1October2000,thosePartieswhosepanelshavebeen unabletocompletetheirevaluationsinordertopermitthosePartiestoconsiderpossible coursesofaction;
.2 the Secretary-General to submit a status report to MSC 73 by 16 October 2000 on the progress made by the panels of competent persons in evaluating the information communicatedbyPartiesinadvanceofthe1August1998deadline,indicatingthereasons whythepanel(s)werenotabletocompletetheirwork; and
.3 theSecretary-GeneraltobepreparedatMSC73todistributethereportcalledforbySTCW regulationI/7,paragraph2,basedonthereportsofallthoseevaluationsreceivedatIMOby 24November2000,intheeventthattheCommitteedeterminesthatallreasonableefforts havebeenmadetocompletethework.
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