IMSO Director General meets Shipping Deputy Minister of Cyprus at the 34th IMO Assembly
The Director General of the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO), Mr Laurent Parenté, met with the Shipping Deputy Minister of the Republic of Cyprus, Ms Marina Hadjimanolis, during the thirty fourth session of the International Maritime Organization Assembly.
The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on potential upcoming challenges for the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). The Director General noted that the rapid emergence of new communication technologies offers opportunities to improve the predictive capacity of the GMDSS, while also reinforcing the need to preserve the radio frequencies used for maritime safety services and to protect them from harmful interference.
The discussion also covered IMSO’s recent work on the Long Range Identification and Tracking system. LRIT is a closed global system used by maritime administrations to track ships. While the system operates effectively, certain technical and administrative constraints continue to limit its wider operational use. These issues have been acknowledged by the IMSO Assembly and the Advisory Committee in recent sessions.
