The Marine Environment Protection Committee, at its fifty-fourth
session (20 to 24 March 2006), agreed that the IMO CAS database, as
part of the IMO Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS)
application, was the appropriate source for CAS-related information
dissemination and that it would be desirable that information on valid
Statements of Compliance be made available to the general public through
GISIS (MEPC 54/21, paragraph 14.17).
The Committee, consequently, instructed the Secretariat
to take necessary steps so that the information on valid Statements
of Compliance stored in the IMO CAS database be made freely available
to the public through the IMO GISIS system.
The Secretariat is pleased to announce that, as of 5 May
2006, information received from Governments on valid Statements of
Compliance issued to oil tankers is now freely available at http://gisis.imo.org.
In addition, the Committee urged MARPOL Parties to fulfil
their obligation under section 14 of CAS by providing information
to IMO for dissemination through the IMO CAS database (MEPC 54/21,
paragraph 14.18.2). In this respect it should be noted that, to this
date, the CAS database holds information concerning 137 oil tankers.
It should also be noted that, in accordance with the terms
of the Committees decision, any other CAS information, such as that
related to Statements of Compliance suspended, withdrawn or declined
continues to be accessible by MARPOL Parties only.
Member Governments are invited to disseminate this information
to interested parties including maritime authorities in charge of
port State control duties.