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The Seafarers Committee of the Asian
Shipowners' Forum while admitting
that there was a need to strengthen
the security of seafarers'
identification to satisfy the
security concerns of port states,
stressed that it was important to
address the need to protect
seafarers' rights with regard to
shore leave and entry requirements
to foreign territories.
The Committee, which met in Dalian,
China recently, has asked member
countries to raise the concern at
international forum like the
International Labour Organisation
and the International Maritime
Organisation.
The anxiety of the Committee, at the
8th interim meeting, was expressed
in the light of the pending
legislation of the United States
with regard to the proposed
requirements for biometric cards and
the logistic effects and costs that
will be imposed on flag states.
Delegates to the meeting also noted
the proposals for ship security
plans submitted by the IMO working
group to MSC76, to be held in
December 2002, and expressed
concerns on the practical
implementation of the new rules.
The meeting was represented by
member associations from China, Hong
Kong, Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei
and from the Federation of ASEAN
Shipowners Associations (FASA), as
represented by the shipowner
associations of Indonesia, Malaysia,
the Philippines and Vietnam.
The meeting discussed the
development of the ILO consolidated
maritime convention and gave its
appreciation of the tremendous work
of the International Shipowners
Federation and the members of the
High Level Tripartite Working Group
(HLTWG) and its sub-group.
According to the Committee a draft
text would soon be developed, and
encouraged ASF member associations
to participate in the discussion of
that text so that a proper and
representative Asian view is taken
into account in the development of
the new instrument.
The meeting urged member
associations to coordinate with
their respective governments on the
importance of the proposed revised
convention and to address the issue
of flexibility in order to achieve
widespread ratification. .
The implementation of the STCW'95
was once again discussed at the
meeting.
The meeting considered that a
continuous effort by parties was
necessary to maintain the compliance
of their systems with the
Convention, and asked ASF member
Associations to assist their
Administrations in this regard. |
