2 Each Contracting Government undertakes to make available information to the Organization concerning its existing search and rescue facilities and the plans for changes therein, if any.
3 Passenger ships to which chapter I applies, trading on fixed routes, shall have on board a plan for co-operation with appropriate search and rescue services in event of an emergency. The plan shall be developed in co-operation between the ship and the search and rescue services and be approved by the Administration. The plan shall include provisions for periodic exercises to be undertaken as agreed by the passenger ship and the search and rescue services concerned to test its effectiveness.
Regulation 8
Life-saving signals*
Contracting Governments undertake to arrange that life-saving signals are used by search and rescue facilities engaged in search and rescue operations when communicating with ships or persons in distress.
Regulation 9
Hydrographic services
1 Contracting Governments undertake to arrange for the collection and compilation of hydrographic data and the publication, dissemination and keeping up to date of all nautical information necessary for safe navigation.
2 In particular, Contracting Governments undertake to co-operate in carrying out, as far as possible, the following nautical and hydrographic services, in the manner most suitable for the purpose of aiding navigation:
.1 to ensure that hydrographic surveying is carried out, as far as possible, adequate to the requirements of safe navigation;
.2 to prepare and issue [official] nautical charts, sailing directions, lists of lights, tide tables and other [official] nautical publications, where applicable, [satisfying the needs of] [necessary for] safe navigation;
.3 to promulgate notices to mariners in order that nautical charts and publications are kept, as far as possible, up to date.
.4 to provide data management arrangements to support these services
3 Contracting Governments undertake to ensure the greatest possible uniformity in charts and nautical publications and to take into account, whenever possible, relevant international resolutions and recommendations.**
* Note by the Secretariat: Consideration may be given to combine this regulation with regulation 29.
** Refer to the resolutions and recommendations of the International Hydrographic Organization
