Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR), 5th session, 16-25 January 2019 (opening address)

ADDRESS OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AT THE OPENING OF THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON NAVIGATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND SEARCH AND RESCUE

(16 to 25 January 2019)

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, good morning.

It is a pleasure for me to welcome you to the sixth session of the Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue. I particularly welcome those delegates who may be attending this Sub-Committee for the first time. As this is the first meeting of 2019, I wish you all, and the maritime community at large, a happy, healthy, productive and successful new year.

At the same time, I feel that I need to express, once again, my appreciation to the IMO family, all Member States, NGOs and IGOs for the tremendous achievements of 2018, and I hope that 2019 can be just as productive and successful like the previous year.

Distinguished delegates,

2018 was busy but very productive and all the success and achievements of last year would not have been possible without our well established system of collaboration and cooperation. I will do my utmost to open even further our communication channels which are paramount in facing together the challenges that lay ahead for the shipping industry.

I urge you to continue to be proactive and to deliver on the key issues that you will be addressing, not only during this meeting but throughout the year and beyond, fulfilling the expectations and objectives set for the Organization and creating and sustaining an even safer, more secure, more environmentally friendly and more efficient maritime world.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a few words about this year's World Maritime Day theme, which is "Empowering women in the maritime community". Women are increasingly present at sea, defying traditional expectations. Their full and meaningful participation in the economy, political decision-making and society is key to addressing maritime challenges, but gender equality in the maritime sector is an issue too often overlooked. The maritime sector needs 'all hands on deck', both male and female, if it is to take on the challenges of carrying the world's goods in an efficient, safe and clean manner.

We are planning a series of events and initiatives to promote this theme. Whilst I look forward to your participation in some or all of those events, I would also encourage you to embrace the theme and use it to promote greater participation of women in shipping activities. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness of our work and to continue to support the participation of women in both shore-based and sea-going work, in line with the goals outlined under SDG 5: 'Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls', under the slogan: Training-Visibility-Recognition.

This year's World Maritime Day will be celebrated at IMO Headquarters on 26 September, and the annual parallel event will be organized by the Government of Colombia.

Before turning to the important items on the agenda of this meeting, let me remind you that the submission of nominations for the 2019 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea is open until 15 April 2019.  I hope you will agree that we should do our utmost to honour these remarkable people and to give them the recognition they rightly deserve. I look forward to receiving your nominations.

***

Distinguished delegates,

I would now like to highlight some key issues among the many and various items on the agenda of NCSR 6.

According to the Modernization Plan of the GMDSS, you will be considering at this session draft amendments to SOLAS chapters III and IV and related instruments. This work will focus on the modernized GMDSS to replace the outdated provisions of the first GMDSS requirements which were part of the 1988 amendments to SOLAS. This work should be completed in a timely fashion for the new GMDSS provisions to enter into force in 2024. Although the target completion year for the item is 2021, I would encourage you to continue to progress this matter as a priority at this session since much work still remains to be done, in particular with respect to the related and consequential amendments to other existing instruments, like the amendments to several Assembly and MSC resolutions, as well as MSC and COMSAR circulars. 

I would further like to emphasize the importance of moving forward with the work on the development and implementation of e-navigation. At this session, you have three e-navigation related outputs on your agenda and I would encourage you to complete them as soon as possible. You will be considering, in particular, the description of various maritime services coordinated by different organizations with the view to enhance harmonization and the draft guidelines on standardized modes of operation, or S-mode, which will improve standardization of the user interface and information used by seafarers. I am looking forward to seeing the outcome of your work in this regard. I believe that e-navigation is of the crucial tasks on your agenda, given its relevance and connection to many other important issues such as digitalization, MASS and cyber-security.

With respect to intersessional work that took place between your last session and this session, I was pleased to note that draft general guidance for navigation and communication equipment intended for use on ships operating in polar waters has been developed by a Correspondence Group for finalization at this session. This is expected to be an important tool in support of the implementation of the Polar Code.

Another important item on your agenda is the finalization of the draft IMO position on matters relating to maritime services on the agenda for the next World Radiocommunication Conference of ITU, scheduled to take place in November this year. The availability of interference-free parts of radio spectrum, dedicated for maritime radiocommunication and radionavigation purposes, is essential to ensure the safety and security of shipping.

Distinguished delegates,

I am confident that you will tackle the tasks before you successfully as usual, inspired by the customary IMO spirit of cooperation and under the competent leadership of your Chair, Mr. Ringo Lakeman of the Netherlands. I am sure that, ably supported by the staff of the Secretariat as always, you will make sound, balanced and timely decisions and I extend best wishes to all of you for every success in your deliberations.

Finally, as is customary, all of you are cordially invited to a cocktail reception hosted by me in the Delegates' Lounge this evening, after the closure of today's session.

Thank you.