Section 2 Promotion of international cooperation
1. Marine Accident Investigators International Forum
The Marine Accident Investigators International Forum (MAIIF) is an international conference initiated by a proposal by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. The seventh session of MAIFF was held in Sliema, Republic of Malta from July 6 through 10, 1998, and was attended by 45 participants from 23 countries.
The eighth session of MAIFF will be held in Tokyo from October 5 through 8, 1999. The principal objective of the session will be to express support for the resolution regarding the establishment of standards for international cooperation in the investigation of marine accidents adopted at the recent general assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Approximately 50 investigators from 25 countries are expected to attend the Tokyo session, the first such gathering hosted by the Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency. The Agency will do its utmost to ensure the success of the session, and looks forward to the opportunity to contribute to the prevention of marine accidents by sharing its extensive expertise in information gathering and investigative methods, as well as to promote greater international cooperation in this effort.
2. International Maritime Organization
The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with maritime issues and is charged with such duties as promoting inter-governmental talks and cooperation and organizing international conventions concerning technical and legal issues to ensure safety of vessels at sea. Headquartered in London, the IMO has 158 member countries and regions as of December 31, 1998.
Although various issues are addressed at the IMO via related member committees and subcommittees, issues related to marine accident inquiries are in fact dealt with by the Flag State Implementation Committee (FSI). In March 1998, the Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency once again dispatched representatives to participate in the seventh annual Flag State Implementation Committee (FSI7).
One issue considered at FSI7 that related specifically to the Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency was the compilation of casualty statistics and investigations. The principal topic of discussion at the FSI7 meeting, however, was to review a draft resolution containing Guidelines on investigation of human factors in maritime casualties and incidents developed by a Joint IMO/ILO Working group.
The guidelines, which are designed to assist in statistical research in the area of human causes of marine casualties and incidents, thereby facilitating effective analysis and the implementation of effective preventative measures, have been developed to be appended to the existing IMO code for the investigation of marine casualties and incidents (resolution, A.849 (20)) at the IMO's general assembly. Minor amendments were made as a result of examination at the FSI7 meeting, and the guidelines were submitted to the 71st Maritime Safety Committee meeting (MSC71) in May 1999, where they were approved without serious objection. The guidelines are expected to be adopted at the next general meeting of the IMO.
The IMO requests countries to submit reports on serious marine accidents and the results of analyses of marine accidents by correspondence groups for inclusion in a database. At present, the database, which uses a closed bulletin board system, can only be accessed via international telephone. Plans to construct a system that will allow access via the Internet were approved, a move that will make the database considerably easier to use.
Analysis of marine accidents is a cornerstone of IMO activities. Accordingly, it is also the focus of the database. The Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency, as a key member of the Marine Accidents Correspondence Group, is committed to maximizing its extensive experience in investigation to play an active role in promoting this database, which will play an essential role in this effort.
