Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2020

1 4 2 support are also critical, whatever the voyage. Furthermore, depending on a country’s territory, some domestic voyages may be hundreds of nautical miles offshore and take more than 24 hours. An example of how IMO can help address universal challenges is a one- minute safety video, commissioned by IMO, which illustrates the need to follow instructions and avoid overcrowding which can lead to vessels capsizing. The video is a simple animation that can be understood universally and shown in ferry terminals and on national TV channels. It was commissioned following a series of IMO- sponsored regional discussion fora on ferry safety held in the Asia and Pacific region. Overloading and overcrowding were highlighted as common and potentially deadly problems for passenger ships plying inland waterways or operating on domestic and inter-island services. The IMO’s senior technical body, Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), has agreed to prepare model regulations for domestic ferry safety which can be transposed into domestic law by IMO Members. The completion of the model regulations will be followed by a programme of technical assistance to help with their implementation. Who are the primary stakeholders responsible for driving this issue forward? There are a range of stakeholders. These include IMO Member States, in particular those where lots of ferry services are operating, and United Nations entities, such as United Nations Development Programme and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific, as well as regional organisations, including the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and others. In addition, there are the international organisations in consultative status at IMO, in this case in particular the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) and Interferry. IMO also works closely with its international training institutes, the World Maritime University (WMU) and the IMO International Maritime Law Institute. IMO has a role in bringing different stakeholders together and arranging training and workshops. Other entities might contribute expertise and help to bring people together. National regulation of ferry safety needs to be robust. Buy-in from ferry operators is crucial and this may be done at a more local level. Raising awareness with ferry passengers themselves is important too. How have IMO and others responded to IMO secretary general Ki-tack Lim’s call for greater investment to tackle domestic safety issues? In collaboration with partners such as Interferry, the IMO has been working with countries and partners in the Asia- Pacific region for a number of years to address the safety of domestic ferries, through regional fora and workshops. A set of guidelines (the Manila Statement) on the safe operation of coastal and inter-island passenger ships not engaged on international voyages was adopted in INTERV IEW