The IMSO Director General, Captain Moin Ahmed, is pleased to announce that on the 8 March 2019, Portugal has accepted the amendments to the IMSO Convention. Portugal has officially submitted the Instrument of acceptance to the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr Kitack Lim, as the Depositary of the IMSO Convention.
The amendments are basically related to the extension of oversight of the GMDSS to other potential satellite service providers, and the duties and responsibilities of IMSO as the LRIT Coordinator appointed by IMO.
These amendments were adopted on 2 October 2008 by the IMSO Assembly at its twentieth session held in Malta. They shall formally enter into force 120 days after receipt of Instrument of Acceptance from two-thirds of the States which were IMSO Parties at the time of adoption. However, at the time of adoption, the IMSO Assembly as an interim measure decided that these amendments should be applied provisionally from 6 October 2008, pending their formal entry into force in accordance with Article 18 of the IMSO Convention.
The Director General today reiterated his request to other Member States (who have not yet done so), to expedite the process of accepting the amendments, so as to ensure their formal entry into force. He is also carrying on with an active outreach programme to ensure this goal is achieved.