MONDAY, MAY 9, 1994
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CO-OPERATION IN INVESTIGATING MARINE ACCIDENTS VITAL
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CO-OPERATION AMONG NATIONAL MARITIME ADMINISTRATIONS IN INVESTIGATIONS INTO MARINE ACCIDENTS WAS ESSENTIAL IF THESE INVESTIGATIONS WERE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE, MR ALLAN PYRKE, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
ADDRESSING THE OPENING OF THE THIRD MEETING OF THE MARINE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATORS INTERNATIONAL FORUM (MAIIF), MR PYRKE NOTED ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THE FORUM, POSSIBLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE, WAS TO DEVELOP AND SUSTAIN A CO-OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP AMONG MARITIME INVESTIGATORS OF DIFFERENT MARINE ADMINISTRATIONS.
HE SAID CO-OPERATION WAS VITAL AS AN ACCIDENT HAPPENED TO A SHIP TODAY WAS MORE LIKELY TO INVOLVE A NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATIONS.
MORE THAN 40 DELEGATES FROM 30 COUNTRIES ATTENDED THE THREE-DAY MAIIF MERTING HOSTED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT.
MR PYRKE SAID THE PRESENCE OF MARINE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATORS WAS A TESTIMONY TO THE APPRECIATION OF THE NEED OF CO-OPERATION.
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HE SAID: "WE IN HONG KONG CANNOT EMPHASISE THE NEED FURTHER. WE HAD 31,000 SHIPS CALLING AT THIS PORT LAST YEAR. THEY BELONGED TO 108 DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES. OUR OWN SHIPS TRADE ALL OVER THE WORLD.
WHICH MUST BE MET IF IN MARINE ACCIDENT
MR PYRKE SAW TWO BASIC REQUIREMENTS
INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION
EFFECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS WAS TO BE ACHIEVED.
FIRSTLY, THE BUREAUCRATIC INERTIA OF THE GOVERNMENT MACHINE SHOULD BE ELIMINATED THROUGH PERSONAL CONTACTS DEVELOPED IN FORUMS SUCH AS THE MAIIF.
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"INFORMAL DIALOGUES ALSO HELP UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL AND HE PROCEDURAL RESTRAINTS UNDER WHICH DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS WORK, ADDED.
SECONDLY,
THE
INVESTIGATION
SYSTEMS
OF
DIFFERENT
ADMINISTRATIONS SHOULD BE HARMONISED SO EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION OR PARTICIPATION ARE REMOVED.
THAT LEGAL RESTRAINTS ON IN INVESTIGATION PROCESSES
MR PYRKE ASSERTED THAT ALTHOUGH THE SECOND TASK WAS HARDER AND MIGHT TAKE A LONG TIME TO ACCOMPLISH, THE FORUM COULD BE AN IDEAL CATALYST TO BRING ABOUT THE CHANGES NEEDED.
DURING THE THREE-DAY MEETING, THE MARITIME GIVE FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE TERMS OF REFERENCE AND MAIIF.
INVESTIGATORS WILL CHARTER OF THE
FOR
THE
THE INVESTIGATORS WILL FINALISE THE PROPOSALS MODIFICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANISATION (IMO) RESOLUTION A637(16) TO OBTAIN BETTER CO-OPERATION AMONG MARITIME ADMINISTRATIONS AND TO DEVELOP A DIRECTORY OF CASUALTY INVESTIGATION PRACTICES OF DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS.
FOR THE
CHAPTER THEY WILL ALSO LOOK AT WAYS TO DEVELOP A NEW
PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES FOR MARINE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS.
IMO CONVENTION ON SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA TO ESTABLISH UNIFORM
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