Sergei Koshchi: “There is a number of IMO agreements brought into effect but not published by Russian media”
PortNews IAA continues publishing abstracts from the speeches of the Round Table meeting “RF getting ready to participate in Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme” held on June 10, 2009 in Admiral Makarov State Maritime Academy. Here is a brief outline of the report of S. Koshchi, deputy Director General of the Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping.
- We should appreciate the RF Transport Ministry’s initiative on arrangement of Voluntary IMO Audit of RF Maritime Administration activities.
According to IMO, National Maritime Administration is a flag state government. Actually the RF Ministry of Transport had to persuade the Government of the necessity to be voluntarily audited by IMO. It was not easy but it was important.
Vitaly Klyuev, deputy Director of the Department for State Policy in Maritime and River Transport (RF Transport Ministry), expanded on the significance of such a step in his opening speech and I wand to say a couple of words about the work done.
Federal executive authorities and organizations to be audited by IMO have already been determined. Besides the Ministry of Transport, the list includes the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Natural Recourses, the Federal Agency of Marine and River Transport (RorMorRechFlot), Russia’s transport and nature supervision watchdogs RosTransNadzor and RosPrirodNadzor, as well as a number of subordinate institutions and organizations.
The work done has brought certain positive results. Before the audit a list of IMO questions was to be answered and this work has been completed. Actually it is a self-assessment of the activities carried out by the above institutions and organizations responsible for RF conformity to international agreements of IMO. This self-assessment revealed a number of heavy drawbacks. Corresponding corrective measures have been undertaken already.
The situation with non-publishing of international agreements put into effect in the Russian Federation by corresponding media is an outstanding example as the Russian legislation says any regulatory document to become mandatory subjects to 1) approval (bringing into effect
in accordance with the procedure established by legislation) 2) publishing by a specialized official media. The self-assessment showed that there were a number of IMO agreements properly put into effect by not published by media. Corresponding measures arebeing undertaken to improve the situation.
A preliminary internal inspection is to be carried out by experts of the Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping in federal executive authorities subject to IMO audit. I’d like to comment on this issue.
Inspection status: it is not the Registry’s but the Ministry’s inspection. Several years ago the Ministry of Transport started studying the principles of IMO audit. For that purpose RF Transport Ministry sent two experts of the Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping for a special course. Then one of the Registry experts participated as an observer representing Russia’s Maritime Administration in IMO Audit of a foreign Maritime Administration. The Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping then arranged training of more experts by IMO training program. So the Ministry of Transport has formed resources necessary to hold internal inspection to check preparedness of the RF Maritime Administration for IMO Audit. Internal inspection is to be carried on July 17-31, 2009. They will cover all the subdivisions of the federal executive bodies and organizations subject to IMO Audit. It will help to reveal other “weak points” of the National Maritime Administration. The situation can then be improved as there is time before the IMO Audit.
According to IMO, National Maritime Administration is a flag state government. Actually the RF Ministry of Transport had to persuade the Government of the necessity to be voluntarily audited by IMO. It was not easy but it was important.
Vitaly Klyuev, deputy Director of the Department for State Policy in Maritime and River Transport (RF Transport Ministry), expanded on the significance of such a step in his opening speech and I wand to say a couple of words about the work done.
Federal executive authorities and organizations to be audited by IMO have already been determined. Besides the Ministry of Transport, the list includes the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Natural Recourses, the Federal Agency of Marine and River Transport (RorMorRechFlot), Russia’s transport and nature supervision watchdogs RosTransNadzor and RosPrirodNadzor, as well as a number of subordinate institutions and organizations.
The work done has brought certain positive results. Before the audit a list of IMO questions was to be answered and this work has been completed. Actually it is a self-assessment of the activities carried out by the above institutions and organizations responsible for RF conformity to international agreements of IMO. This self-assessment revealed a number of heavy drawbacks. Corresponding corrective measures have been undertaken already.
The situation with non-publishing of international agreements put into effect in the Russian Federation by corresponding media is an outstanding example as the Russian legislation says any regulatory document to become mandatory subjects to 1) approval (bringing into effect
in accordance with the procedure established by legislation) 2) publishing by a specialized official media. The self-assessment showed that there were a number of IMO agreements properly put into effect by not published by media. Corresponding measures arebeing undertaken to improve the situation.
A preliminary internal inspection is to be carried out by experts of the Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping in federal executive authorities subject to IMO audit. I’d like to comment on this issue.
Inspection status: it is not the Registry’s but the Ministry’s inspection. Several years ago the Ministry of Transport started studying the principles of IMO audit. For that purpose RF Transport Ministry sent two experts of the Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping for a special course. Then one of the Registry experts participated as an observer representing Russia’s Maritime Administration in IMO Audit of a foreign Maritime Administration. The Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping then arranged training of more experts by IMO training program. So the Ministry of Transport has formed resources necessary to hold internal inspection to check preparedness of the RF Maritime Administration for IMO Audit. Internal inspection is to be carried on July 17-31, 2009. They will cover all the subdivisions of the federal executive bodies and organizations subject to IMO Audit. It will help to reveal other “weak points” of the National Maritime Administration. The situation can then be improved as there is time before the IMO Audit.