Note of meeting of the International Maritime Organization Maritime Safety Committee IMO MSC109 – 2 December to 6 December 2024

by Kim Fisher

This was a standard five-day meeting of the Committee chaired again by Mrs Mayte Medina of the USA. It was a very busy meeting but the Chair, very commendably, managed to get through all the agenda.

Concerns were raised again about the ongoing conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine and its effects on international shipping and seafarers and the security situation in the Red Sea region particularly the fate of the MV Galaxy Leader whose crew is still  being held hostage.

Work continued in a working group on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) towards developing a voluntary MASS Code for cargo ships. A correspondence group and an intersessional working group had been active before the meeting. Three chapters have now been completed and the other chapters are under way. Work will continue in an intersessional working group.

Work continued on the development of a safety regulatory framework to support the reduction of GHG emissions from ships using new technologies and alternative fuels. A correspondence group and an intersessional working group had been active before the meeting. The list of alternative fuels and new technologies were updated. Work will continue in a correspondence group.

The output from the meeting of the sub-committee on Navigation, Communications, Search and Rescue (NCSR) which had taken place from the 4 to 13 June 2024 was agreed. The draft amendments to SOLAS regulation V/23 on pilot transfer were approved together with revised performance standards for pilot transfer arrangements, and a Circular on voluntary early implementation of the revised SOLAS V/23. An input from the USA reported on the issue of the ineffectiveness of the radar search and rescue transponder (SART) due to the need to specially set up a ship’s radar in order to detect it. An SN Circular was prepared to give guidance.

A working group considered the issue of the work load of the Committee and the Sub-Committees following the Chair’s concerns at the last meeting. This resulted in amendments to the Committees’ method of work and a revision of the terms of reference of some of the Sub-Committees.

The previous meeting had extended the moratorium on the submission of proposals for new work but even so nine proposals had been received. The Chair decided to consider two of these because they involved IMO involvement in other organizations. The first concerned development of a transition scheme for the introduction of digital technology to VHF voice communications. The Committee agreed to add this to the NCSR work programme. The second concerned the development of guidance to establish a framework for data distribution and global Internet Protocol (IP)-based connectivity in order to realise the full potential of Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) using S-100 products. There was considerable debate on this which finally resulted in the proposal being also added to the NCSR work programme.


The next meeting has been scheduled for 18 to 27 June 2025. The next meeting of NCSR has been scheduled for 13 to 22 May 2025.