Maritime Safety, Maritime Pollution Prevention and Japan's Contribution

The accident of the "Titanic"

   There was great alarm and sensation when, on midnight, 14 April 1912, the "Titanic", the deluxe passenger vessel which was then the greatest in the world (46,328 gross tons), collided against an iceberg to founder on her maiden voyage, and brought about the deaths of about 1,500 out of 2,200 crews members and passengers.

   Given this disaster, there grew a movement to create international arrangements on maritime safety in the forms of treaties instead of leaving individual countries to regulate such matter through domestic laws.

   As a result, in January 1914, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was adopted at an international conference held in London.

International Maritime Rule-Making

   Ships go on voyages all over the world, and at ports, freighters with different cargo assemble from all over. If each nation's regulations on shipping are different, and if there are big differences in equipment, safety standards, loading capacities etc. on board, not only would this cause inconvenience at the ports of destination, but this could also endanger the lives of the crew and passengers, as happened in the case of the "Titanic." Moreover, in seas with heavy traffic, we need common traffic rules.

   Thus, it is necessary to establish internationally unified rules on ships making international voyages, in the interest of keeping maritime safety and preventing marine pollution, and the IMO (the International Maritime Organization) is engaged in this rule-making process in London.

Activities of IMO

1. Organization

   The IMO was established in 1958 as a specialized agency of the United Nations, for promoting international cooperation on maritime issues, such as maritime safety and prevention of pollution from ocean-going vessels. Japan has been a member state since its foundation, and as of March 2000, 158 states have become members.

   The organization consists of the Assembly (once every two years), the Council (twice a year), and the specialized committees, which consider treaties and other matters. These include the Maritime Safety Committee, Legal Committee, and Maritime Environment Protection Committee.

2. Main Activities

   The IMO is engaged in the making and revision of treaties concerning maritime safety standards of ships, technical requirements of load lines, and regulations on the discharge of noxious substances from ships.

   The IMO drew up several important treaties, such as the "1974 SOLAS Convention," which is descended from the treaties mentioned above after the wreck of the "Titanic," prescribing the construction of vessels and their equipment, including lifeboats; the "1966 LL Convention," which prescribes load lines; the "MARPOL 73/78 Convention" on the prevention of pollution from ships; and the "1992 Fund Convention," which established an international fund to compensate the victims of oil pollution.

1966 LL Convention
1974 SOLAS Convention
MARPOL 73/78 Convention
1992 Fund Convention

   The IMO also considers measures to verify the enforcement of international standards by flag states, recognizing there are various difficulties regarding the implementation of international standards by flag states.

3. Rising International Concerns

   International concerns over maritime safety and the protection of the marine environment have seen an increase, against the background of such accidents as that of the "Erika," which occurred off the coast of Bretagne, France, in December 1999, and the activities of IMO have become increasingly important. At the Kyushu-Okinawa G8 summit held in July 2000, the G8 articulated in their declaration that they would jointly co-operate with the IMO and endorsed its efforts to improve maritime safety.

Japan's Contributions

   Japan has participated in the activities of the IMO and made active contributions, in its capacity as a member of the Council since its foundation. Japan's assessed contribution to the IMO in 2000 ranks 3rd (5% of the total amount), after Panama and Liberia.

   Japan also actively takes part in the consideration of the IMO's conventions, making the best use of its knowledge and experience as a principal shipping and shipbuilding state. Recently, taking a lesson from the "Nakhodka incident," which occurred in the Sea of Japan in 1997, it proposed Amendments to the MARPOL 73/78 Convention and had them adopted.

   In addition, Japan has contributed personnel to the organization, including the Director of Marine Environment Division, who was appointed recently. At the Conferment of Spring 2000, a decoration was presented to the former Assistant Secretary-General of the IMO, who was the first Japanese former staff of an international organization to be so decorated.

Some Important Conventions Drawn up by IMO

1. 1966 LL Convention: which prescribes technical requirements for load lines to protect the safety of life and property at sea. Formally referred to as the "International Convention on Load Lines, 1966," 143 states have acceded (as of June, 2000).
2. 1974 SOLAS Convention: which prescribes technical standards and inspection systems regarding the construction and equipment of ships, in the interests of maritime safety including safe navigation. Formally referred to as the "International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974," 140 states have acceded (as of March 2000).
3. MARPOL 73/78 Convention: which prescribes the structure (such as double hull) and the equipment of ships, for the regulation of the discharge of oil and marine pollution prevention. Formally referred to as the "Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973," 110 states have acceded (as of March 2000).
4. 1992 Fund Convention: which provides for the establishment of an international fund financed by annual contributions from the firms which receive maritime transported oil, to provide complementary compensation to victims of oil pollution, in addition to the compensation provided by ship owners. Formally referred to as the "International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage, 1992," 56 states have acceded (as of May 2000).