Circular Letter
MSC/Circ.1073
REVISED DIRECTIVES FOR MARITIME RESCUE CO-ORDINATION CENTRES (MRCCS)
(adopted
on 5 June 2003)
1.
The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventy-second session (17 to 26 May
2000), approved Directives for Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs),
which, in most incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships, are the
first point of contact between the ship and coastal authorities concerned,
following the Master's decision to request assistance.
2.
The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventy-seventh session (28 May to 6 June
2003) modified the text to include provisions for the handling by MRCCs of
alerts received from ships in response to terrorist acts and other security
incidents.
3.
The revised text of the Directives is given at Annex.
4.
Member Governments and international organizations are recommended to bring
this circular to the attention of their national MRCCs, shipowners, ship
operators, shipping companies, shipmasters and crews.
5.
This circular supersedes MSC/Circ.967 dated 6 June 2000.
ANNEX.
DIRECTIVES FOR MARITIME RESCUE CO-ORDINATION CENTRES (MRCCs)
Act
of violence: For the purposes of this circular, the phrases act of violence and
acts of violence against ships encompass acts of piracy, acts of armed robbery
against ships and any other security incident directed against a ship which
does not fall into one of the preceding categories. For the purposes of this
circular, the ship includes all persons on board.
Piracy
The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) (article 101)
defines piracy as follows:
"Piracy consists of any
of the following acts:
a) any illegal acts of
violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by
the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and
directed:
i) on the high seas, against
another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or
aircraft;
ii) against a ship,
aircraft, persons or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any State;
b) any act of voluntary
participation in the operation of a ship or of an aircraft with knowledge of
facts making it a pirate ship or aircraft;
c) any act inciting or of
intentionally facilitating an act described in sub-paragraph (a) or (b)."
Security
Forces Authority: For the purposes of this circular, and in accordance with the
organization of and the decisions by the national Governments, the SFA
(Security Forces Authority) is generally a national or regional command of a
public agency such as the Navy, Coast Guard or Police in charge of providing
the response to security incidents.
Security
incident. SOLAS 1974, as amended, chapter XI-2 defines a security incident as
"any suspicious act or circumstance threatening the security of a ship,
including a mobile offshore drilling unit and a high speed craft, or of a port
facility or of any ship/port interface or any ship to ship activity".
Overt
Security Alert: For the purposes of this circular, an overt security alert uses
a communication channel or method which makes no attempt to deny knowledge of
its activation and use, for example VHF broadcast.
Covert
Security Alert: For the purposes of this circular, a covert security alert uses
a communication channel or method designed to deny knowledge of its activation
to perpetrators of the acts of violence, for example a ship security alert
system as detailed in the ISPS Code.
2.1
While all Governments may grant their maritime rescue co-ordination centre(s)
(MRCCs)*, in addition to those of search and rescue (SAR), powers in the
application of national regulations and instructions, the response to acts of
violence against ships is the only one of these extensions that forms part of
the IMO regulations. In this way, MRCCs are incorporated in the organization
that Governments have to set up to deal with acts of violence against ships,
which may occur suddenly and anywhere.
_______________
*Certain missions, which MRCCs have to carry
out, in addition to search and rescue, are however set out in chapter 7 of the
IAMSAR Manual, volume II.
2.2
For these reasons, this circular has been drawn up especially for the MRCCs*,
taking into consideration their own situations and normal activities. It should
be considered in connection with guidance on maritime security given in chapter
XI-2 of the SOLAS Convention, and the International Ship and Port Facility
(ISPS) Code, and guidance on piracy and armed robbery against ships given in
MSC/Circ.622/Rev.l for Governments, and MSC Circ.623/Rev.l aimed at shipping
companies, masters and crews.
____________
*All the aspects laid down for the MRCC in
this circular should be taken as valid for the joint rescue co-ordination
centres (JRCC) and, if the national authority so decides, for the maritime
rescue sub-centres (MRSC) and joint rescue sub-centres.
2.3
MRCCs can expect to receive a ship security alert of an act of violence against
a ship in a number of ways. This ship security alert can come directly from the
ship or via an alternative source. These alternative sources include, but are
not limited to, other ships, an adjacent MRCC, the national SFA, ship operators
and flag State Administrations.
2.4
The immediate MRCC response to an alert should be determined by whether the
alert received by the MRCC is determined to be an overt alert or a covert
alert. Determining whether the alert is overt or covert is a critical factor as
the response for each is extremely different as shown below:
.1 Overt Security Alert: For
an overt alert communication with the ship or other ships in the vicinity of
the ship under threat or attack heed not be delayed or disguised, for example a
Master of a ship may use an overt alarm to discourage an attack;
.2 Covert Security Alert:
For a covert alert no attempt is to be made to contact the ship
originating the alert and no communications are to be made with other ships in
the vicinity of the ship under threat. A Master of a ship may use a covert
alarm to deny those posing the threat or making an attack the knowledge that an
alert has been made; and
.3 Unspecified Security
Alert:
A security alert is deemed
to be unspecified when:
.1 it is unclear whether the
alert is overt or covert; or
.2 the initial alert is
overt and this is subsequently superseded by a declaration that it is a covert
alert.
Detailed
guidance for these three situations is provided in the operating instructions
below.
2.5
Bilateral agreements between States may be reached for the application of
co-operation procedures that might differ from those set out above.
It
is essential that MRCCs are in all respects prepared for situations involving
acts of violence against ships. Preparatory measures taken by each MRCC must
include actions to:
.1 ensure that the MRCC is in
possession of appropriate national instructions giving details of the Security
Force Authority (SFA) responsible for the operational application of
contingency plans (counter-measures) to deal with situations involving acts of
violence against ships;
.2 establish fast and
effective methods of communication for use between the MRCC and the SFA in
question. These methods of communication should be tested on a regular basis;
.3 if appropriate and
feasible, repeat points 3.1 and 3.2 above for each State whose coastal waters
are included in the search and rescue region (SRR) of the MRCC;
.4 ensure the MRCC has clear
written procedures and instructions on the actions to be taken by operations
personnel when dealing with an act of violence against a ship;
.5 establish who is
responsible for notifying other Administrations and Contracting Governments of
the act of violence in accordance with SOLAS 1974, as amended, chapter XI-2,
regulations 6 and 7; and
.6 train the MRCC personnel
in:
.1 the risks of an act of
violence against a ship in the SRR covered by the MRCC in particular and the
phenomenon of acts of violence against ships in general;
.2 the use of the MRCC
procedures and instructions relating