MSC.1/Circ.1299

TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND MEASURES FOR ACCELERATING THE COMPLETION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LRIT SYSTEM

(8 December 2008)

 

 

1. The Maritime Safety Committee (the Committee), at its eighty-fifth session (26 November to 5 December 2008), reviewed the progress made in relation to the establishment and completion of the LRIT system and noted that the design, construction, testing and integration of components of the system was still in progress and will continue after 31 December 2008. As a result the Committee:

 

.1 adopted the Transitional arrangements for the completion of the establishment of the LRIT system (the Transitional arrangements), as set out in annex 1; and

 

.2 approved the Measures for accelerating the completion of the establishment of the LRIT system, as set out in annex 2.

 

2. The Committee agreed that SOLAS Contracting Governments should intensify their efforts so as to ensure the establishment, testing and integration of their LRIT Data Centres into the LRIT system as soon as possible.

 

3. The Committee also agreed to review the progress made in relation to the completion of the establishment of the LRIT system, at its eighty-sixth session.

 

4. SOLAS Contracting Governments should bring the provisions of the Transitional arrangements to the attention of the officer they have duly authorized to exercise control pursuant to the provisions of SOLAS regulations I/19 and control and compliance measures pursuant to the provisions of SOLAS regulation XI-2/9.

 

5. SOLAS Contracting Governments which encounter difficulties with the implementation of the Transitional arrangements should bring, at the earliest opportunity, the matter to the attention of the Committee for consideration of the issues involved and decision on the actions to be taken.

 

Annex 1.

TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LRIT SYSTEM

 

The Maritime Safety Committee (the Committee) decided that:

 

1.1 For the purpose of the Transitional arrangements:

 

.1 Convention means the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended;

 

.2 Contracting Government means a Contracting Government to the Convention;

 

.3 Chapter means a chapter of the annex to the Convention;

 

.4 Regulation means a regulation of the annex to the Convention;

 

.5 LRIT information means the information specified in regulation V/19-1.5;

 

.6 Ship means a ship, high-speed craft and mobile offshore drilling units which is required to comply with the provisions of regulation V/19-1 and transmit LRIT information;

 

.7 Record of Equipment means the Record of Equipment for the Passenger Ship Safety Certificate (Form P), the Record of Equipment for the Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate (Form E), the Record of Equipment for the Cargo Ship Safety Certificate (Form C) and the Record of Equipment for High-Speed Craft Safety Certificate issued under the provisions of the International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft or the International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft, 2000;

 

.8 Conformance test report means the Conformance test report specified in section 7 of the annex to MSC.1/Circ.1296 on Guidance on the survey and certification of compliance of ships with the requirement to transmit LRIT information;

 

.9 Revised performance standards means the Revised performance standards and functional requirements for the Long-range identification and tracking of ships adopted by resolution MSC.263(84).

 

1.2 Terms not otherwise defined in the Transitional arrangements should have the same meaning as the meaning attributed to them in chapters I, V and IX and/or the Revised performance standards.

 

2. The provisions of the Transitional arrangements apply during the period between 31 December 2008 and 30 June 2009.

 

3. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 4 and 5, the provisions of the Transitional arrangements apply only to Contracting Governments which have established LRIT Data Centres which have been integrated into, and are operating in, the LRIT system and Contracting Governments which are in the process of establishing LRIT Data Centres which have not been integrated into the LRIT system before 31 December 2008 but whose testing and integration would take place on or after 31 December 2008 and during the period the Transitional arrangements apply.

 

4. Notwithstanding the provisions of regulation V/19-1 and of the Revised performance standards in relation to communication of information to the Organization, a Contracting Government establishing an LRIT Data Centre which has not been integrated into the LRIT system before 31 December 2008 wishing to follow the provisions of the Transitional arrangements should communicate¹ to the Organization as soon as possible and without delay:

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¹ Refer to paragraphs 8.1.1 to 8.1.7 and appendix 1 of MSC.1/Circ.1298 on Guidance on the implementation of the LRIT system, in relation to communication of information to the Organization.

 

.1 the information required by the provisions of regulation V/19-1.8.2 and paragraphs 5.2, 8.1 or 8.2, and 11.2, and 8.3.2 or 16.1.1, when applicable, of the Revised performance standards; and

 

.2 details of the Application Service Providers (ASPs) they have authorized to act on their behalf as authorized testing ASPs²,

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² Refer to paragraph 6.2 of MSC/Circ.1296 on Guidance on the survey and certification of compliance of ships with the requirement to transmit LRIT information and paragraph 8.1.2 and appendix 1 of MSC.1/Circ.1298 on Guidance on the implementation of the LRIT system in relation to communication of information to the Organization on matters relating to authorized testing ASPs.

 

and should, thereafter, update the aforesaid information as and when changes occur.

 

5. A Contracting Government establishing an LRIT Data Centre which has not been integrated into the LRIT system before 31 December 2008 wishing to follow the provisions of the Transitional arrangements should, in addition to the information specified in paragraph 4, inform the Organization when the LRIT Data Centre it is in the process of establishing would be ready to commence testing with a view to integration into the LRIT system so that it can receive LRIT information transmitted by ships entitled to fly its flag and provide such information to other Contracting Governments and Search and rescue services upon request.

 

6. The Organization should, as from 30 December 2008 and for the period during which the Transitional arrangements apply, issue and make publicly available, and when changes occur update, a list showing which Contracting Governments:

 

.1 have established LRIT Data Centres which have been integrated into the LRIT system; or

 

.2 are in the process of establishing LRIT Data Centres and have communicated to the Organization the information specified in paragraphs 4 and 5.

 

7. Contracting Governments would be unable to request and receive, pursuant to the provisions of regulations V/19-1.8.1.2 and V/19-1.8.1.3, LRIT information transmitted by ships entitled to fly the flags of Contracting Governments which have not been able to complete the establishment, testing and integration of their LRIT Data Centres into the LRIT system, or have not made arrangements (refer to paragraphs 8.3.2 and 16.1.1 of the Revised performance standards) with other LRIT Data Centres for providing LRIT Data Centre services to them.

 

8. The situation which arises, as outlined in paragraph 7, is outside of the control of the ships entitled to fly the flags of Contracting Governments whose LRIT Data Centres have not been integrated into the LRIT system, or of the companies which operate them.

 

9. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 3, for the period during which the Transitional arrangements apply and taking into account the provisions of regulation V/19-1.4.1 in relation to the phased in implementations of the requirement to transmit LRIT information, all Contracting Governments, when exercising control of ships pursuant to the provisions of regulation I/19, should consider ships as complying with the requirement to transmit LRIT information and should not delay or detain any ship solely on account of not being able to receive LRIT information transmitted by the ship in question as long as the ship concerned:

 

.1 is entitled to fly the flag of a Contracting Government which is included in the list published by the Organization in accordance with paragraph 6;

 

.2 has on board a valid Conformance test report, issued in accordance with the provisions of MSC/Circ.1296 on Guidance on the survey and certification of compliance of ships with the requirement to transmit LRIT information; and

 

.3 its Record of equipment³ has been amended to indicate that its compliance with the requirement to transmit LRIT information (i.e. the entry on "Long-range identification and tracking system" indicates compliance).

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³ Refer to paragraph 11.3 of MSC.1/Circ.1296 on Guidance on the survey and certification of compliance of ships with the requirement to transmit LRIT information, in relation to special arrangements concerning mobile offshore drilling units.

 

10. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 9, Contracting Governments are and remain entitled to the right to exercise control and compliance measures pursuant to the provisions of regulation XI-2/9, as they deem appropriate. However, any Contracting Government exercising such right should not do so merely because of the circumstances stated in paragraph 7.

 

11. As a result of the delays in the completion of the establishment of the LRIT system, Contracting Governments establishing LRIT Data Centres which have been, or would be, integrated into the LRIT system would be unable, for some time, to recover part of the expenditure they incur in relation to the transmission of LRIT information by ships entitled to fly their flags and in connection with the operation of their LRIT Data Centres, from other Contracting Governments which might wish to request and receive such LRIT information.

 

11.1 For the period during which the Transitional arrangements apply, Contracting Governments operating LRIT Data Centres which have been integrated into the LRIT system might opt to direct the setting of shipborne equipment of ships entitled to fly their flags to automatically transmit the ship's LRIT information at intervals greater than the 6-hour interval specified in paragraph 4.4 of the Revised performance standards.

 

11.1.1 In such cases the time interval at which the shipborne equipment might be set to automatically transmit the ship's LRIT information is at the discretion of the Contracting Government concerned.

 

11.2 Contracting Governments opting to direct the setting of shipborne equipment at intervals greater than 6 hours should ensure that LRIT Data Users requesting LRIT information pursuant to the provisions of regulations V/19-1.8.1.2, V/19-1.8.1.3 or V/19-1.12 are provided, in a timely manner, with all the LRIT information they are entitled to, as if the shipborne equipment of the ships in question were set to automatically transmit LRIT information at 6-hour intervals.

 

11.2.1 The expenditure for the setting and resetting the shipborne equipment, in case a Contracting Government has opted to direct the setting of shipborne equipment at intervals greater than 6 hours, should be on its account and it should not seek to recover the expenditure by levying additional or other charges to be paid by the Contracting Government requesting the LRIT information.

 

11.3 For the period during which the Transitional arrangements apply, Contracting Governments able and wishing to request and receive LRIT information transmitted by ships entitled to fly the flags of other Contracting Governments operating LRIT Data Centres which have been integrated into the LRIT system should, taking into account the provisions of regulations V/19-1.8.1.2 and V/19-1.8.1.3 and of paragraphs 16.1.3 and 16.1.4 of the Revised performance standards, communicate to the Organization the relevant details.

 

11.3.1 The Organization should, as from 30 December 2008 and for the period during which the Transitional arrangements apply, issue and make publicly available, and when changes occur update, a list showing the information communicated to it pursuant to paragraph 12.3. Such list may be combined with the list referred to in paragraph 6.

 

Annex 2.

MEASURES FOR ACCELERATING THE COMPLETION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LRIT SYSTEM

 

1. LRIT Data Centres (DCs) which have satisfactorily completed the prototype and/or developmental testing phase should facilitate and assist the testing of other DCs.

 

2. The Secretariat, in consultation with the United States acting on behalf of the International LRIT Data Exchange (IDE), should develop, manage and coordinate the programme for testing DCs during the developmental testing phase and, after they have been authorized by the LRIT Coordinator to be integrated in the production LRIT system, for their integration therein.

 

2.1 The Secretariat, when designating DCs which are to facilitate the testing of other DCs, should ensure that the work load is distributed, to the extent it is practically possible and feasible, amongst DCs satisfactorily completed the prototype and/or developmental testing phase in a fair manner.

 

3. When DCs are based on and use the same design and the same software and hardware solutions, at least two of such DCs should undergo and satisfactorily complete all test procedures and test cases specified in the Protocols and arrangements for the prototype, development, integration and modification testing phases of the LRIT system.

 

3.1 Thereafter, when conducting developmental testing of such DCs a test programme, limited in scope, might be developed, in consultation with the chairman of the Ad Hoc LRIT Group, the United States acting on behalf of the IDE and the Secretariat acting on behalf of the Organization for matters relating to the LRIT Data Distribution Plan (DDP) and of the Public Keys Infrastructure (PKIs)) which only requires the conduct of selected test procedures and test cases primarily to verify the correct functioning as far as aspects which are specific to the Contracting Government establishing the DC to be tested, for example the DDP, or relate to the PKIs, on the understanding that such programme would be determine on the merits and specificities of each case and may vary between such DCs.

 

4. The developers and operators of all DCs which satisfactorily complete the prototype and/or developmental testing phase, the United States as provider of the IDE and the Secretariat as provider, on behalf of the Organization, of the DDP and of the PKIs, should share their knowledge and experience with those engaged in the design, construction and testing of DCs.

 

5.1 The Administrative interface of the IDE may share knowledge and experience and/or the lessons learnt during the design, construction, testing and integration of DCs.

 

5.2 The Administrative interface of the IDE may host a discussion group, where questions may be posed and answered, on the understanding that such matters should be eventually recorded and codified as part of the technical documentation for the LRIT system when it is so required.

 

6. Proposed amendments to the technical specifications for the LRIT system, the XML schemas and the test procedures and test cases, should be dealt with, in accordance with the procedures established by the Committee, in a expeditious and constructive manner.

 

7. The Ad Hoc LRIT Group, at its next session, should hold presentations on the production LRIT system and, notwithstanding its terms of reference, devote time in discussing and resolving any difficulties encountered by those engaged in the design, construction, testing and integration of DCs.

 

8. Contracting Governments which have established DCs which have been integrated into the production LRIT system should consider making the services of such DCs available to other Contracting Governments which are either in the process of establishing their