Resolution A.1117(30)
Adopted on 6 December 2017
(Agenda item 9)
IMO
SHIP IDENTIFICATION NUMBER SCHEME
THE ASSEMBLY,
RECALLING Article 15(j) of the Convention on the International
Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Assembly in relation to
regulations and guidelines concerning maritime safety and the prevention and
control of marine pollution from ships,
BELIEVING that the enhancement of maritime safety and pollution
prevention and the prevention of maritime fraud could be facilitated if a
permanent identification number were assigned to a ship which would remain
unchanged upon transfer of its flag and would be inserted on ships'
certificates,
RECALLING that, by resolution 1, the Conference of Contracting
Governments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974
(SOLAS
Convention), held at IMO Headquarters in May 1994, adopted amendments to the
SOLAS Convention, which included the addition of a mandatory regulation on the
ship identification number scheme (current SOLAS regulation XI-1/3), which
entered into force on 1 January 1996,
RECALLING ALSO that, by resolution MSC.202(81), the Maritime Safety Committee, at
its eighty-first session, adopted amendments to the SOLAS Convention with
regard to the long-range identification and tracking of ships (SOLAS regulation
V/19-1), which entered into force on 1 January 2008,
RECALLING FURTHER that, by resolution A.600(15), it adopted the IMO Ship
Identification Number Scheme, and by resolution A.1078(28), the revised IMO Ship
Identification Number Scheme, which allows the voluntary application of the
Scheme to ships of 100 gross tonnage and above, including fishing vessels,
RECOGNIZING the need for the IMO Ship Identification Number Scheme
to be revised to allow its application to ships of 100 gross tonnage and above,
including fishing vessels of steel and non-steel hull construction; passenger
ships of less than 100 gross tonnage, high-speed passenger craft and mobile
offshore drilling units covered by SOLAS regulation V/19-1; and all motorized
inboard fishing vessels of less than 100 gross tonnage down to a size limit of
12 metres in length overall (LOA), authorized to operate outside waters under
the national jurisdiction of the flag State,
HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendation made by the Maritime Safety
Committee at its ninety-eighth session,
1 ADOPTS the IMO
Ship Identification Number Scheme, as set out in the annex to the present
resolution for implementation on a voluntary basis;
2 INVITES
Governments concerned to implement the Scheme as far as is practicable and to
inform the Organization of measures taken in this respect;
3 REQUESTS the
Maritime Safety Committee to keep the Scheme under review for further
improvement as may be necessary;
4 REVOKES resolution
A.1078(28).
Annex
IMO SHIP IDENTIFICATION NUMBER SCHEME
Introduction
1 The purpose of the
Scheme is to enhance maritime safety and pollution prevention and to facilitate
the prevention of maritime fraud. It is not intended to prejudice matters of
liability, civil law or other commercial considerations in the operation of a
ship. Administrations should apply the Scheme to new and existing ships under
their flag engaged in international voyages. Administrations may also wish to
assign IMO Ship Identification Numbers (IMO numbers) to ships engaged solely on
domestic voyages and to insert the number in the national certificates.
Application
2 The Scheme applies
to ships of 100 gross tonnage and above, including fishing vessels of steel and
non-steel hull construction; passenger ships of less than 100 gross tonnage,
high-speed passenger craft and mobile offshore drilling units engaged on
international voyages (SOLAS regulation V/19-1); and to all motorized inboard
fishing vessels of less than 100 gross tonnage down to a size limit of 12
metres in length overall (LOA) authorized to operate outside waters under the
national jurisdiction of the flag State, with the exception of the following:
.1 ships without mechanical means of
propulsion;
.2 pleasure yachts;
.3 ships engaged on special service1;
.4 hopper barges;
.5 floating docks and structures classified
in a similar manner;
.6 ships of war and troop ships; and
.7 wooden ships, other
than fishing vessels.
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1 For example lightships,
floating radio stations, search and rescue vessels.
Assignment of IMO ship identification number
3 The IMO number is
made up of the three letters "IMO" in front of seven digits (e.g.
IMO8712345), allocated by Information Handling Services Maritime & Trade
(IHSM&T)2 at the time of build or when a ship is first included
in a register. Administrations which have decided to implement the Scheme are
invited to assign, or cause to be assigned, IMO numbers to all appropriate
ships flying their flags, and to insert those numbers on ships' certificates.
4 For new ships, the
assignment of the IMO number should be made when the ship is registered. For
existing ships, the assignment of the IMO number should be made at an early
convenient date, such as when the renewal survey is completed or new
certificates are issued.
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2 Formerly known as
IHS-Fairplay (IHS-F) and IHS Maritime.