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Introduction
August has been a quiet month in certain respects and busy in others. Although there have been no actual meetings at the IMO a lot of preparation has been conducted for other work and projects.
There have been a number of other projects to attend to and these are going well along with the refurbishment of the office.
IMO
There were no meetings of committees or sub-committees at the IMO but there have been a number of communications that have been well received and work is being progressed.
September sees the start of work on special projects and the work of committees and sub-committees.
Executive Council Meeting London 20 – 21 September 2012
The above meeting is well progressed in its preparation.
Included in the meeting will be the progress being made regarding the Resolutions raised at the AGA in Copenhagen in June of this year.
IFSMA Workshop in Manila Nov 2012
The FOCUS DAY has a full set of speakers for the event which is centred on the ISPS Code and raises a number of questions of how successful it has been and the direction it is now taking.
It is hoped that a number of delegates will attend from the various memberships of IFSMA to support this event and make it more successful than last year.
A number of logistical issues have been resolved and this should result in the proceedings being completed. There is a feedback session in respect of the FOCUS DAY at the main conference.
Linked to this event it is hoped that the President Christer Lindvall, myself and Vice President Hans Sande will have meetings with AMUSOP and FILSCAPTS during our stay in Manila to discuss the future and other issues that affect IFSMA.
Safety4Sea Forum in Athens October 2012
The travel arrangements and logistics have been completed. The title of the paper to be given is ‘The changing role of the Master in shipping today’. The theme is to go beyond the concept of the Master being either a super-hero or super-villain and explore the varying demands being made on Masters and their exposure to the law.
As well as attending and speaking I hope to have a meeting with the Greek ShipMasters’ Association about possible ways ahead to joining IFSMA. This matter is progressing slowly.
Marine Electronics & Communications Conference in London September 2012
IFSMA has been invited to attend and speak at this conference and also join the panel for Q&A sessions.
The theme of this paper is to look at the human element side of working practices and ask the question of whether technology is progressing faster than humans can, and are officers and crew becoming operators only.
This should be an interesting session as part of the content is in respect of ECDIS and a chance to listen to and talk with experts and their views on this important topic for the maritime industry. Reports and updates will be made as this matter progresses.
4th Maritime Piracy & Security Summit in London January 2013
IFSMA has been invited and accepted the invitation to speak at this conference. This is the second year of participation, but the first year for IFSMA. Once again this is an important summit to ensure that IFSMA is known and the work that we do.
At this time discussions are being held to identify the theme of the paper and that it is moving onto other security issues, not just piracy. One of the topics will be the preservation of evidence on board ship and the burden placed on the Master. IFSMA is already involved in this issue with Charles Boyle, Director of Legal Affairs Nautilus International, and myself attending the IMO on the work being progressed
Reports and updates will be made as this matter progresses.
New IMO Training Project
IFSMA has been invited to join and has accepted to be part of the IMO / WMU “Energy Efficient Ship Operation Training Course Project”. The first meeting will be on 3rd September at the IMO in London. Reports and updates will be made as this matter progresses. The list of participants making up this working group is 22, with IFSMA being one of the NGOs having been asked to attend.
ECDIS Technical Group
The next meeting for this group is in October in London. IFSMA will be attending. Reports and updates will be made as this matter progresses.
There have been a few minor correspondences made including discussions on the new IMO Model Course 1.27. Type specific training is still a major unresolved issue.
The date of the next meeting has been set as 9th October and it is hoped that a large number of delegates will attend to move this issue forward.
Danish Maritime Officers’ visit to London – October 2012
Some staff from the DMO will be visiting London during the month of October and requested some assistance from HQ, which was given. They will hold a one day seminar at HQ and we have arranged an appropriate meeting room in the complex, also the supply of refreshments and lunch for the day.
It is hoped that other Associations will take note of this and perhaps use the facilities, if available, to foster future events.
Irish Institute of Master Mariners
There have been on-going discussions regarding developing further ties with this Association and to also form links with the Maritime College at Cork. These discussions are in the early stages, but it is hoped that further developments will take place and that these will be reported in later issues of this report.
Branch Membership
There are protracted negotiations with three National Associations which will continue to find a common ground for working together with the possibility of joining and full membership at a later date.
The payment of annual fees from Associations and Individual Members is nearly complete and it is with thanks to everyone for their continued support that ensures that IFSMA is a viable and on-going concern.
With regret one Association has been suspended from membership. This decision was not taken lightly and only after the agreement of all Executive Council members. This had been a bad situation which had deteriorated to a point beyond recovery.
HQ Renovation
The renovation continues and during the week I spent in HQ (20 – 24 August) a number of items and decisions were reached and implemented. The office is now showing visible signs of change and these will continue.
The work programme for the rest of this year has been agreed between the Secretariat and will be implemented.
By December 2012 the work programme for 2013 will be in place and this will be Phase 2 of this on-going project.
Future reports will expand on the items listed above and new projects as they are formed. It is hoped that in the near future more feedback will be received so that new projects and matters can be discussed and hopefully progressed.
Captain John W. Dickie
Secretary General IFSMA
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