On January 17, the 11th session of the International Maritime Organization Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction concluded, chaired by Mr. Erik Tvedt of Denmark. Mr. Antonio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the IMO, attended the entire session, delivering an opening speech and providing a closing summary.
The Maritime Safety Administration of the Ministry of Transport of China, along with representatives from Tianjin, Hebei, and Guangdong Maritime Safety Administrations, China Classification Society, and China State Shipbuilding Corporation, participated in the meeting as a delegation. The session covered 17 agenda items and established three working parties, one expert group, and one drafting group.
China submitted eight proposals, which received positive feedback from participating delegations and achieved favorable outcomes during the meeting. The main achievements of the session are as follows:
Firstly, based on China's proposals for two consecutive sessions, a draft amendment to the "International Convention on Load Lines" was formulated. This draft will be submitted to the 110th session of the Maritime Safety Committee for approval, with an expected effective date of January 1, 2028. Secondly, based on China's proposal, the revision recommendations for the "Guidelines for the Construction, Maintenance, and Inspection/Survey of Boarding and Landing Facilities" and the "Amendment to the 2009 Code on Alarms and Indicators" were completed, with China's main suggestions being adopted. Thirdly, the draft of the "Guidelines for the Arrangement of Temporary Towing Devices on Non-Tank Vessels" was completed, determining the use of ship outfitting numbers as parameters for calculating the strength of emergency towing components, based on a combination of China's and Japan's proposals. Fourthly, the draft amendment to the IP Code, the draft amendment to the 2011 ESP Code, and the finalized draft guide for the approval and certification of companies using RIT for hull structure inspections were completed.
The session also reviewed non-mandatory document amendments related to underwater radiated noise from ships, the safe return of passenger ships to port, conventional and non-conventional ship propulsion and steering systems, and amendments to the guide for the use of fiber-reinforced materials in ship structures.
During the session, the Chinese delegation demonstrated a strong spirit of cooperation by voluntarily undertaking the drafting of two working papers, WP.7 and WP.9, despite the relevant drafting groups not being established, earning high praise from the Secretariat. On the topic of unified interpretation of SOLAS Convention II-2/13.4.1 and 13.4.2 regarding the location of the bottom of escape routes in machinery spaces, the delegation made several rounds of reasoned and moderate statements, gaining support from multiple delegations and the chairman, with the session report reflecting China's position. The Maritime Safety Administration of the Ministry of Transport has increasingly engaged in international maritime cooperation, actively advancing China's proposals within the IMO, voicing China's opinions, safeguarding the interests of China's shipbuilding and shipping industries, and making breakthroughs in international maritime cooperation.
