The Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) approved a series of amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention). This with the aim of facilitating access to ship tracking data on a global scale and improving safety, security and environmental protection at sea.
“The amendments will allow coastal States to receive standard ship position notifications free of charge, which will remove a major obstacle to the use of the system,” the IMO stated.
“This is expected to help countries better monitor maritime activity, support search and rescue operations, and address issues such as illegal shipping and marine pollution,” it added.
It should be noted that LRIT currently functions as a global system that allows different governments to comprehensively track commercial vessels.
This is achieved through the reception of periodic and automated updates on the exact geographic position and identity of each unit transiting international waters.
Protection of communications
The IMO Maritime Safety Committee also adopted a resolution to incorporate the VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) into the organization’s regulatory framework.
This technology will function as an alternative to the current Automatic Identification System (AIS) mandatory for vessels. According to the established timeline, the entry into force of these new international rules is scheduled for January 1, 2028.
“VDES is a more advanced version of AIS that allows ships and coastal authorities to send and receive more data, faster and more securely,” the IMO stated.
“VDES is designed to increase the security of ship tracking by incorporating an authentication system, which helps reduce the risk of falsifications,” it added.
The Committee gave the green light to revised performance standards for VDES equipment installed on board ships. Complementarily, the authorities approved new guidelines concerning the operational use of this system, thus ensuring a standardized framework for its correct implementation and use in global navigation.
