Spain Becomes First IMSO Member State to Accept Convention Amendments

May 27, 2010 at 8:58 am | Posted in Space Law | Leave a comment

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From the IMSO:

IMSO NEWS 035
13 May 2010
SPAIN BECOMES FIRST IMSO MEMBER STATE TO ACCEPT CONVENTION AMENDMENTS

The IMSO Director General, Captain Esteban Pacha-Vicente, today announced that, on 5 May 2010, Spain became the first IMSO Member State to accept the amendments to the IMSO Convention. This acceptance was executed by the transmission to the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), as Depositary of the IMSO Convention, of a formal letter from His Excellency the Ambassador of Spain to the United Kingdom, Mr Carles Maria Casajuana Palet.

The amendments to the IMSO Convention were adopted by the IMSO Assembly at its Twentieth Session, held in Malta, on 2 October 2008. In summary, the amendments relate to the extension of oversight of the GMDSS to other potential satellite providers, and the duties and responsibilities of IMSO as LRIT Coordinator appointed by IMO.

The amendments entered into force on the basis of provisional application from 6 October 2008, pending their formal entry into force. The amendments will enter formally into force 120 days after receipt of notice from two-thirds of States which were IMSO Parties at the time of adoption, at which time they will become binding for all IMSO Parties.

The Director General today said “I am extremely pleased that Spain is the first IMSO Party to accept the amendments to the IMSO Convention. I understand that many other Member States are in the process of accepting the amendments and I urge those involved to expedite the process in order to ensure their formal entry into force. I remain available to assist in this matter.”