IMO to audit Russia

From September 25 till October 7, 2009, Russia will participate in Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme.  Four auditors will check the conformity of the country’s maritime transport system to the requirements of international agreements and will recommend on corrective measures. The Round Table meeting “RF getting ready to participate in Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme” arranged by PortNews IAA discussed the drawbacks acknowledged by Russian maritime community.

The state to account for everything

Maritime transport is the most international type of business. Ship owners are free to choose a flag, classification societies, routes. Thus the requirements of international agreements in the sphere of the maritime transport are of a fundamental importance and supersede national requirements. Therefore it is important to observe them hence the need for corresponding international audits.

The range of problems related to the forthcoming IMO Audit was discussed in St. Petersburg t the Round Table meeting “RF getting ready to participate in Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme”  arranged by PortNews IAA in Admiral Makarov State Maritime Academy. As Vitaly Klyuev, deputy Director of the Department for State Policy in Maritime and River Transport (RF Transport Ministry), said in his keynote speech, the dates of the audit have been approved already (from September 26 till October 7, 2009) as well as 4 independent auditors headed by a representative of Danish maritime administration. Three other auditors are from Poland, Bulgaria and Japan. The memorandum on Russia’s participation in IMO Audit was signed by RF Transport Minister Igor Levitin as early as in December 2008. A special committee headed by deputy Minister Sergei Aristov has been formed within the RF Transport Ministry to prepare Russia for IMO Audit.

“The auditors are first of all focused on enforcement of the requirements specified by international conventions mainly in respect to government institutions rather than to vessels or shipping companies. I’d like to underline that audit will not cover the latter and none of the auditors will visit a vessel or a shipping company. However we have proposed that they could visit Sovcomflot and certain other companies. Sovcomflothas already given an OK. In general auditors will work only with the government institutions and organizations authorized by the government,” Vitaly Klyuev told. 

According to him, international system for control and audit of vessels and shipping companies operates quite smoothly while audit of government institutions is a novelty. Actually, any state has certain internationalobligations and should have a rigid system to controltheir implementation. It covers inspection of vessels in ports, arrangement of their stay, navigation and environmental safety, navigational and hydrographic support, search and rescue duty, oil spill respond activities etc., as well as obligations as a flag state. 

The forthcoming audit will not cover the system of personnel training and protection of vessels from adversaries. However the issues related to obtaining of diplomas and certificates will be inspected by the auditors. Actually it relates to operation of Harbor Master service rather than to educational institutions.

Besides, the audit is focused on legislation which is to ensure proper enforcement of conventions including responsibility of both state authorities and all violators.

Help to come from overseas

As of today, only one of 30 countries audited by IMO had no points of criticism. Russia is not likely to become an exception to the rule.

“The preliminary stage shows there are certain “weak” points in Russia, Vitaly Klyuev says. We can improve something but certain drawbacks are likely to be noted. The main purpose of the audit is not to blame the state but to reveal drawbacks and to help in determination of what is to be done to completely fulfill the obligations".

When getting ready to IMO audit Russia is to carry out internal self-inspection for a better preparedness to arrival of independent auditors. Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping will carry out the inspection. “A corresponding decision has been made by the deputy Transport Minister and it is not a game. I inform everybody to face the internal inspection that auditors from the Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping are authorized by the Ministry of Transport and no objections to their work are possible – they are to be accepted, provided with information and their recommendations are to be implemented, Vitaly Klyuev underlined. Upon this internal inspection corresponding conclusions are to be made as regards necessary alterations of the system so that to pass the IMO audit.

According to Sergei Koshchi, deputy Director General of the Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping, auditors of the Registry have been trained by IMO and have already participated as observers during audit of other administrations. “So we can speak about audit in the name of the Transport Ministry according to IMO methods rather than in the name of the Registry and according to its norms,” Sergei Koshchi explained.

Among evident problems, the participants of the Round Table meeting noted lack of smooth inspection at Russian-flag vessels not calling to Russia’s territorial waters for a long period; problems with translation and prompt publishing of international documents in Russian. 

However, Sergei Koshchi notes a positive effect achieved at he preliminary stage owing to the very initiative of the Transport Ministry to participate in IMO audit. “Governmental institutions have already been attracted and certain drawbacks have been revealed. Firs of all they were caused by negligence and now they are being eliminated to get ready to international audit.” 

It should be noted that IMO audit is a voluntary procedure today while it is likely to become mandatory from 2014 and independent auditors will come to each country every 5-7 years.

The participants of the Round Table meeting have come to a conclusion that Russia will be properly prepared for IMO Audit. A resolution upon the meeting results will be issued by the next week and placed at the website of PortNews IAA.

Vitaly Chernov

Evening reception in the name of the organizers was held at the Sedov sailing ship. The organization committee thanks the ship owner – Murmansk StateTechnical University – for the opportunity to board the vessel.