A/RES/72/73
Oceans and the law of the sea
every marine safety investigation conducted into a very serious marine casualty to
identify trends and develop knowledge and risk-based recommendations;
157. Notes the adoption by the Assembly of the International Maritime
Organization at its twenty-eighth session of the resolution on guidelines on the
preservation and collection of evidence following an allegation of a serious crime
having taken place on board a ship or following a report of a missing person from a
ship, and pastoral and medical care of persons affected; 68
158. Recognizes the important work of the International Hydrographic
Organization, calls upon States that have not yet done so to consider becoming
members of that Organization, encourages all its me mbers to actively consider, in
accordance with applicable rules and procedures, applications of States that wish to
become members of that Organization, and urges all States to work with that
Organization to increase the coverage of hydrographic informatio n on a global basis
to enhance capacity-building and technical assistance and to promote safe navigation,
particularly through the production and use of accurate electronic navigational charts,
especially in areas used for international navigation, in port s and where there are
vulnerable or protected marine areas;
159. Also recognizes the importance of navigational warning services based on
marine meteorological data for the safety of ships and lives at sea and the optimization
of navigation routes, and notes the collaboration between the World Meteorological
Organization and the International Maritime Organization for the enhancement of
these services and their extension to the Arctic region;
160. Encourages States to continue their efforts in the implementation of all
areas of the Action Plan for the Safety of Transport of Radioactive Material, approved
by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency in March 2004;
161. Notes that cessation of the transport of radioactive materials through the
regions of small island developing States is an ultimate desired goal of small island
developing States and some other countries, and recognizes the right of freedom of
navigation in accordance with international law; that States should mainta in dialogue
and consultation, in particular under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy
Agency and the International Maritime Organization, with the aim of improved
mutual understanding, confidence-building and enhanced communication in relation
to the safe maritime transport of radioactive materials; that States involved in the
transport of such materials are urged to continue to engage in dialogue with small
island developing States and other States to address their concerns; and that these
concerns include the further development and strengthening, within the appropriate
forums, of international regulatory regimes to enhance safety, disclosure, liability,
security and compensation in relation to such transport;
162. Acknowledges, in the context of paragraph 161 above, the potential
environmental and economic impacts of maritime incidents and accidents on coastal
States, in particular those related to the transport of radioactive materials, and
emphasizes the importance of effective liability regimes in that regard;
163. Encourages States to draw up plans and to establish procedures to
implement the Guidelines on Places of Refuge for Ships in Need of Assistance
adopted by the International Maritime Organization on 5 December 2003; 69
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28/55
International Maritime Organization, Assembly resolution A.1091(28).
International Maritime Organization, Assembly resolution A.949(23).
17-21819