The 11th session of Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) was held in London from June 4th to June 13th, 2024. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Joris Brouwers from the Netherlands, and Mr. Domingos, Secretary General of IMO, attended the opening and closing ceremonies and delivered a speech. The Maritime Safety Administration of the Ministry of Transport, together with the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center, China Classification Society, Ministry of Water transport Science Research Institute, China Communications Information Center, and the Maritime Special Team of the Embassy in the UK, formed a Chinese delegation to attend the meeting in a combination of online and offline formats. Wang Jianhua, Director of Shenzhen Maritime Safety Administration, serves as the team leader.
A total of 19 topics were set for the meeting, and three working groups on navigation, communications, search and rescue and other technical matters and an expert group on ship alignment were set up. The chairman of the working group on search and rescue and other technical matters was Mr. Liu Falong from the China Communications and Information Center, a member of Chinese delegation.
The meeting considered and adopted the report of the Working Group on the Communication of Pilot embarkation and Disembarkation Devices of China as coordinator, and agreed to the amendment of SOLAS Article V/23 and the draft resolution MSC on the performance standard of Pilot embarkation and disembarkation devices, which is scheduled to be mandatory from January 1, 2028; Agreed to the draft MSC circular on the Voluntary Early Implementation of the Amendment to Article V/23 of the SOLAS Convention concerning Pilot embarkation and disembarkation Devices and submitted to MSC for approval at its 109th session.
The meeting approved the draft MSC resolution on the Performance Standard of the Digital Navigation Data System (NAVDAT) for Receiving maritime safety Information Using Medium and High Frequencies, jointly led by China and France, and approved the amendments to the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Radio Service (resolution MSC.509(105)). Proposed for adoption by MSC at its 109th session.
The Conference agreed on the draft General Conference resolutions on the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Mobile Satellite Communication System Standard and Rates for the Broadcast of Distress, Emergency and Safety Communications through the Approved GMDSS Mobile Satellite Service for approval by MSC at its 109th session and adoption by MSC at its 34th session.
The meeting preliminarily considered the draft SOLAS Chapter IV and V revision and performance standards for VDES, and decided not to continue the revision of SOLAS Chapter IV at this stage, and set up a communications working group to continue to promote the draft SOLAS Chapter V revision and performance standards development; The meeting also established a communications working group to develop guidelines for the use of electronic nautical publications.
The 12th NCSR meeting will be held from 13 to 22 May 2025. The 20th meeting of the IMO/ITU Joint Expert Group on Maritime Radiocommunication will be held from 7 to 11 October 2024; The 31st meeting of the ICAO/IMO Coordination Working Group on Maritime and Air Search and Rescue will be held from 4 to 8 November 2024.
