IMO updated the List of national operational contact points

The International Maritime Organization has issued a circular MSC-MEPC.6/Circ.21 Annex updating the List of national operational contact points responsible for the receipt, transmission, and processing of urgent reports on incidents involving harmful substances including oil from ships to coastal States.

This circular was issued on 28 April 2023.

The following information is provided to enable compliance with regulation 37 of MARPOL Annex I, which, inter alia, requires that the Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP) shall contain a list of authorities or persons to be contacted in the event of a pollution incident involving such substances.

Requirements for oil pollution emergency plans and relevant oil pollution reporting procedures are contained in articles 3 and 4 of the 1990 OPRC Convention.

This information is also provided to enable compliance with regulation 17 of MARPOL Annex II, which, inter alia, requires that the shipboard marine pollution emergency plans for oil and/or noxious liquid substances shall contain a list of authorities or persons to be contacted in the event of a pollution incident involving such substances.

In this context, requirements for emergency plans and reporting for hazardous and noxious substances are also contained in article 3 of the 2000 OPRC-HNS Protocol.

Resolution MEPC.54(32), as amended by resolution MEPC.86(44), on the SOPEP Guidelines and resolution MEPC.85(44), as amended by resolution MEPC.137(53), on the Guidelines for the development of Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plans for Oil and/or Noxious Liquid Substances adopted by IMO require that these shipboard pollution emergency plans should include, as an appendix, the list of agencies or officials of administrations responsible for receiving and processing reports.

Such a list is developed and updated by the Organization in compliance with article 8 (Reports on incidents involving harmful substances) and protocol I (Provisions concerning Reports on Incidents Involving Harmful Substances) of the MARPOL Convention.

Under article 8 of the MARPOL Convention, each Party to the Convention shall notify the Organization with complete details of authorities responsible for receiving and processing reports on incidents for circulation to other Parties and Member States of the Organization.

Attention is also drawn to both Guidelines which stipulate that "in the absence of a listed focal point, or should any undue delay be experienced in contacting the responsible authority by direct means, the master should be advised to contact the nearest coastal radio station, designated ship movement reporting station, or rescue coordination centre (RCC) by the quickest available means".

The "List of national operational contact points responsible for the receipt, transmission, and processing of urgent reports on incidents involving harmful substances including oil from ships to coastal States" contained in the circular is updated at the end of each calendar year.

This list is an update of that contained in MSC-MEPC.6/Circ.21 dated 31 January 2023, as amended.

The above-mentioned "List" is available on the Internet and can be accessed at https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Circulars/Pages/CP.aspx?refresh=1 (or select National Contacts link on the bottom of the IMO homepage).

This Internet version is updated on a quarterly basis and includes a summary indicating which country has submitted changes to its information since the previous update.

On receipt of this latest version and in order to maintain an accurate list, it is necessary that Member States check their respective information to ensure that it is correct.

Effective 29 February 2008, Member States are requested to directly update their respective information in the Global Integrated Shipping Information Systems (GISIS) using the reporting facilities of the Contact Points module.