Navigare 4 - Sjøfartsdirektoratet

The inspector has
been inspected
IMO (International Maritime Organization) has revised
Norway as a fl ag and port state. Th e revision began with an
extensive review of the superior work - a meeting which took
place at the head offi ce of the Norwegian Maritime Directorate
in Haugesund.
Some people may ask themselves who
inspects the inspector. Until a few years
ago, the correct answer to that question
would be that nobody fully inspects the
inspector. Th at was no doubt a worrying
situation, and the situation was thus discussed
in the International Maritime
Organization (IMO). IMO is, as many
will know, the UN Agency concerned
with safety at sea. Th e discussion resulted
in the resolution (A.974(24)) concerning
Voluntary IMO Member State
Audit Scheme. Th e fact that the scheme
was made voluntary was due to the provisions
of the treaty to
which the member states
have committed themselves,
a treaty which was
adopted by Norway a long
time ago.
IMO’s supreme agency
(the Council), in its meeting
in June 2006, therefore
urged its member states to
show interest for a volunteer
revision, a request Norway
acted on already that
same summer. In the course
of late summer and autumn
2006, 40 or so member
states had reported an interest
for being revised.
A revision in accordance with resolution
A.974(24) is comprehensive, actually
so comprehensive that Norway
in 2006 asked that the revision was not
carried out until after the Directorate
had completed its relocation to Haugesund
and the organisation had settled.
Why so comprehensive? Well, because
it examines how all of IMO’s mandatory
conventions have been implemented
into Norwegian laws and regulations
and how they are followed up.
And then it is not enough to look at
one single regulation – No, the entire
trail is examined. In this context, any
discussions in the Norwegian Parliament
of amendments to the conventions
will also enter into the picture, as
will the follow-up of the underlying
departments by any ministries.
Th e revision took place from the
22nd to the 26th of October. Prior to
the revision, there had been a comprehensive
correspondence between IMO
and Norway, including a detailed agenda
which stipulated times and people
meeting on behalf of Norway. On the
Norwegian side, approximately 40 people
were involved. Th ese were from the
Ministry of Justice and the Police; the
Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal
Aff airs ; the Ministry of Trade and
Industry ; the Maritime Directorate,
Maritime Investigators, prosecuting
authorities and the Meteorological Offi
ce in Bergen; the Hydrographic Service;
the Rescue Coordination Center at
Sola; the County Governor of Rogaland
and the Port Authorities of Bergen,
Haugesund and Stavanger. In
other words, a packed program completed
in the course of fi ve days.
Prior to the revision, there were more
people in suspense over the outcome
than people who felt fairly confi dent
that the revision would turn out well;
and Monday the 29th of October the
result came. Th e short version of the 38
pages long preliminary report is as follows:
• Norway maintains its international
commitments as member of IMO in
a good manner.
• Norway may, with some simple
measures – things we have discussed
already in the Norwegian Maritime
Directorate – become even better.
• Norway was not given any discrepancies
– something which we know
several other countries received.
What happens next? In approximately
three weeks, the fi nal report will
be issued, and Norway must follow up
with corrective measure on eight observations
(points of improvement) within
90 days, a deadline which will not be
diffi cult to keep.
Th is proves Norway to be a maritime
nation which takes its imposed
international responsibilities seriously
and lives up to decisions to which we
have contributed in international forums.
Th ose who wish to read the details
of the revision report may do so on
the web site of the Norwegian Maritime
Directorate www.sjofartsdir.no.
NAVIGARE 4 - 2007 5