.1 agreed with the MSC to instruct all Sub-Committees to continue to take into consideration appropriate human element related matters in the course of their work;

.2 noted the preliminary draft revised Assembly resolution A.792(19) for consideration and finalisation at MSC 77;

.3 agreed with the MSC to instruct the Sub-Committees to report their experience in the application of the guidance given MSC/Circ.1022-MEPC/Circ.391;

.4 noted the preliminary list of tools developed and activities carried out by the Organization directly addressing the human element;

.5 endorsed the decision by MSC 75 to reconvene the working group at MSC 77; and

.6 approved the report in general.

.1 recommendations to amend Committees' Guidelines;

.2 long-term work plan of the Organization and determination of whether there is a need to restructure the sub-committees;

.3 ability to implement new requirements and recommendations;

.4 responsibilities and roles of the sub-committee Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen;

.5 attendance of journalists at meetings of IMO's technical bodies; and

.6 other matters discussed by the Chairmen's Meeting.

.1 to amend the Committees' Guidelines to reflect the recommendations of the Chairmen's Meeting;

.2 to approve the revised text of the Committee's Guidelines as set out in MEPC 49/18/1;

.3 to instruct the sub-committees to consider the terms of reference and prepare updated terms of reference for consideration by MSC 78 and MEPC 51;

.4 that any modifications to the long-term work plan deemed necessary to achieve the objectives of the Organization, as set out in resolution A.900(21), would be conditional on any change in the structure of the sub-committees, which, in turn, should only be considered when the outcome of the Ad Hoc Council Working Group on the Organization's Strategic Plan becomes available and the strategy and policy of the Organization are agreed;

.5 that there was no need, at present, to change the structure of the sub-committees;

.6 that Guidelines on the roles and responsibilities of sub-committee Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen should be prepared for consideration at the next Chairmen's Meeting and that the Secretariat shall be requested to attempt drafting such Guidelines, with a view to submission to the next Chairmen's Meeting;

.7 that, in the case of requests from journalists to be present at particular sessions of a committee/sub-committee, these should be assessed on a case-by-case basis and that the body concerned should decide at the beginning of the session whether, and under which conditions, this should be allowed, taking into account that, under the Committees' Rules of Procedure, meetings are normally held in private unless otherwise determined. In this context, the Committee agreed to provide comments to the draft guidelines MEPC 49/11/9, annex) to the Council as discussed under agenda item 11 and reflected in paragraph 11.5.1.4; and

.8 endorsed the opinion of the Chairmen's Meeting that, by strictly observing the Guidelines, even as they stand at present, the work of the Organization's technical bodies will gain not only in quality of output but also in efficiency and effectiveness.

.1 decided not to convene BLG 9 in 2004;

.2 approved the proposed work programmes and provisional agendas of the BLG and FSI Sub-Committees, which are set out in annex 23; and

.3 in approving the work programme of the BLG Sub-Committee, the Committee recommended to postpone the target completion date for H.4 and H.5 to 2005, subject to approval by the MSC, taking into account that BLG 9 will not meet in 2004.