添付資料 12
Latest Information on IMO's Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCPs)
7 - 9 December 1999
AMETIAP AGM/Conference
at Tokyo
The Maritime Safety Committee at its sixty-eighth session (28 May - 6 June 1997) considered draft "Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP)" prepared by the Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation and approved their dissemination by the Circular (MSC/Circ.794, 30th May 1997).
It was intended to adopt the refined version of these SMCPs at IMO NAV. 45 in September of 1999. But certain countries didn not consider that topic very urgent and tried to postpone it "open ended", because "more important things have to be solved". Their standpoint is in short: Those who want to embark a seafaring career have to learn a proper English.
However, Germany, Russia and especially the USA insisted their importance so that it was decided to consider/approve the finalized version at NAV. 46 (July 2000) at the latest.
By this date, the working group has to refine the SMCPs taking into account the remarks which were sent to IMO and also the remarks made by the Chairman of IMLA's Workshop on Maritime English.
Despite of this delay, the amendments suggested are not destructive to the SMCPs. Most of them are editorial. So a restructuring will take place: The SMCPs will most likely be splitted into a mandatory part (all external, i.e. radio communication plus on-board pilot conversation and passenger care) and an optional part comprising the remaining on-board communication. This will lift from those who will provide the new draft a bit the burden that the Phrases are too many in number. Anyhow, Maritime English lecturers will not do anything wrong when they start to teach the SMCPs as they are now.
The SMCPs need to be adopted at their earliest convenience since they are referred to in STCW'95 as a mandatory requirement and elsewhere and Maritime English lecturers especially in the countries whose mother tongues are not English impatiently wait for the Phrases. The SMCPs are of so importance in terms of eradicating of marine accidents which are considered to be based on communication failures.
Provided by T. Yagi
Director, JEIS, Japan
A regularly-participating member
IMLA'S Workshop on Maritime English
