IMO is participating in a UN/CEFACT* conference dealing with electronic exchange of information related to ship safety and security regulations, at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland (25-29 April). Officials from regulatory agencies and affected transport and logistics sectors heard Julian Abril, Head of Facilitation, share the decisions adopted by IMO’s Facilitation Committee (FAL 40), which recently adopted the mandatory electronic data exchange for international shipping under the revised Facilitation Convention.
UN/CEFACT develops trade facilitation standards and recommendations to help industry provide information required by regulatory and border control authorities. In the IMO context, these include UN layout aligned paper forms and UN/EDIFACT electronic message structures in respect of the Organizations Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and FAL Conventions.
* United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT)