IALA DELEGATION TO SUPPORT PREPARATION FOR IMO 2022 AUDIT IN EL SALVADOR
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) audits its member countries every year to verify compliance with international maritime regulations. These audits are carried out at the request of the States (voluntarily) or due to events of great repercussions. El Salvador is among the countries to be audited by the IMO in 2022, being one of the aspects to be audited the Maritime Aids to Navigation Service, in order to comply with Chapter V of the SOLAS Convention, related to the Safety of Navigation.
Such audits began on January 1, 2016, when the IMO made it mandatory to conduct audits of all Member States in order to determine the extent to which they effectively comply with the obligations and responsibilities set forth in various IMO treaties. Among the elements included in the scope of the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) are Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention); Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Convention); Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Training Convention); Load Lines; Tonnage of Ships; and the Collision Avoidance Regulations (COLREG).
In view of the above, the Maritime Port Authority (AMP) of El Salvador, as the entity responsible for ensuring adequate safety of navigation and maritime aids to navigation, aware of the potential risks and consequent damages of maritime accidents along its coasts and in its territorial sea, requested the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) to provide maritime aids to navigation (AtoN) services in El Salvador.
IALA is an international non-profit technical association, in the process of becoming an Intergovernmental Organization (IGO). Established in 1957, it brings together marine aids to navigation authorities, manufacturers, consultants and scientific and training institutes from all over the world and offers them the opportunity to exchange and compare their experiences and achievements. It also collaborates in standardizing signals for maritime safety globally, supported by the close work they do together with the IMO and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). Moreover, its Academy provides Technical Assistance and training opportunities for capacity building of personnel related to Aids to Navigation Services.
The visit of the IALA delegation took place in September 2021 and included a fact-finding phase to provide a sufficient understanding of the volume of maritime traffic and the degree of risk in El Salvador's maritime waters, and the identification of possible gaps that may exist in the provision of aids to navigation and their management. The delegation was staffed by two experts from the Academy with experience in navigational safety.
The objectives of the assessment were:
- 1. To review the system for the provision of aids to navigation services, including legal, administrative, operational and organizational aspects, as well as any other relevant factors, in order to assess its adequacy and effectiveness.
- 2. Generate recommendations to improve the current system in compliance with SOLAS Chapter V, regulations 4, 12 and 13 and the corresponding IALA standards, recommendations and guidelines.
- 3. Advice on the priorities to implement the recommended improvements.
- 4. Visit to relevant locations of aids to navigation.
- 5. Provide an overview of additional technical assistance deemed necessary, particularly with respect to training needs.
- 6. Agreement of a date by which IALA will conduct a review of the progress made in implementing the recommendations provided in the final report.
In addition to the technical visits made to the Port of Acajutla and Port of La Unión, different working meetings were held with entities related to the maritime and port sector. One of the meetings was held with personnel of the Geographic Institute and National Cadastre (IGCN) of the National Center of Registries (CNR), with the objective of promoting the update of the Nautical Cartography of El Salvador.
It is noteworthy that the AMP is fully aware of the importance of preserving the lives of the different ship crews. For this reason, as part of El Salvador's links with other specialized bodies and organizations, the support of IALA was requested, with the purpose of detecting possible deficiencies and correcting the course of action, thus safeguarding the safety of navigation and preserving human life in the oceans.