International Maritime Organization

This publication concerns the carriage of passengers and their luggage by sea and the establishment of a regime of liability for damage suffered by passengers carried on a seagoing vessel. It includes:

Final Act of the International Legal Conference on the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage on Board Ships, 1974; Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea (PAL), 1974; Understanding of the Conference in Relation to Participation in the Convention and the Performance of Depositary Functions in Relation thereto by the Secretary-General of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO); Final Act of the International Conference on the Revision of the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, 1974; Protocol of 2002 to the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, 1974.

As a result of the modernization of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) in 2022, several performance standards have been revised, consolidated, revoked or newly adopted. Most of these performance standards will be implemented as from 1 January 2024, in line with the entry into force of the amendments to SOLAS chapter IV and other related instruments.

The latest developments under SOLAS chapter V include amendments to the performance standards for shipborne voyage data recorders and simplified voyage data recorders, and revised performance standards for electronic chart display and information systems, which will introduce new IHO S-100 product specifications.

The present publication incorporates all performance standards for shipborne radiocommunications and navigational equipment and systems, including revisions or amendments thereto adopted up to June 2023.

The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code) has been developed to supplement existing IMO instruments in order to provide a more comprehensive set of provisions to address the increased interests and traffic in the polar regions, and the unique operational, environmental and search and rescue concerns peculiar to these areas, taking into account that the consequences of any major safety or pollution incident in polar waters are likely to cause widespread harm to these pristine environments.

The Polar Code covers the full range of design, construction, equipment, operational, training, search and rescue and environmental protection matters relevant to ships operating in waters surrounding the two poles. It includes mandatory measures covering safety (part I-A) and pollution prevention (part II-A) and recommendatory provisions for both (parts I-B and II-B).

This course aims to facilitate the training of port facility security officers in accordance with the minimum knowledge, understanding and proficiencies (KUPs) in the Guidelines on training and certification for port facility security officers (MSC.1/Circ.1188) to meet the duties and responsibilities required by the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, part A.

This course is for officers, whether they have been ship surveyors, masters, chief officers or chief or second engineer officers, who are to be authorized by their Governments to execute port State control in accordance with regulation 19 of chapter I and regulation 4 of chapter XI-1 of SOLAS, as amended, with article 21 of Load Lines, with articles 5 and 6 and regulations I/4, II/10, III/8 and V/8 of MARPOL, with article X and regulation 4 of chapter I of STCW and with article 12 of Tonnage Convention.

This Convention was the first multilateral instrument to be concluded with the prime objective of protecting the environment. It is concerned with the agreement between the Governments involved to prevent pollution of the sea by oil discharged from ships. The text published is as amended in 1962 and 1969.

This model course provides training in elementary first aid at the support level and is based on the provisions of table A-VI/1-3 of the STCW Code.

Port State control inspections contribute to ensuring that globalmaritime standards are being implemented consistently on all ships.This publication provides guidance for port State control officerson the conduct of inspections to support harmonization in the wayinspections are carried out worldwide.

This edition includes amendments to Guidelines for the detention of ships (appendix 2) and Guidelines for port State control under MARPOL Annex VI (appendix 18), and new Guidelines for inspection ofanti-fouling systems on ships (appendix 19).

This course covers the mandatory training requirements for masters, chief mates, chief engineer officers, second engineer officers and every person assigned immediate responsibility for embarking and disembarking passengers, loading, discharging or securing cargo or closing hull openings on board passenger and ro–ro ships. It is based on the provisions of section A-V/2 and table A-V/2 of the STCW Code.