IMO FOCUSES ON STOWAWAY CRISIS, DRUG SMUGGLING
The International Maritime Organization has said it will
give the stowaway crisis high-priority status in its future agenda.
Over 500 stowaways incidents have been reported to the IMO since its last
Facilitation Committee meeting in 1998. But IMO members agree that the number of cases is
actually much higher.
A correspondence group has been set up by the IMO to study the stowaway
problem. The group must come up with ways to make recommendations as to how best to
establish more binding regulations.
The IMO will begin to produce quarterly and annual reports about stowaway
incidents. Industry groups, such as the Baltic and International Maritime Council and the
International Chamber of Shipping, will encourage their carrier members to report all
stowaway incidents.
Separately, the IMO has taken action to endorse agreements between industry
and national law enforcement agencies to crack down on drug smuggling.
The IMO made an amendment to its Facilitation Convention to encourage
maritime nations to pursue these types of agreements. The amendment is based on an
anti-drug smuggling model established by the World Customs Organization.
The amendment takes effect on January 1, 2001.
