UAE, November 14, 2017 - The UAE has ratified  key International Maritime Conventions and Protocols as part of its efforts to develop  maritime and shipping sector and this will support UAE marketing to International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other IMO Member States .The ratification came after a series of preparations by the Federal Transport Authority (FTA) - Land and Maritime to meet the international requirements and standards set by IMO, including the implementation and  enforcement of the international conventions  and protocols in all relevant  national  maritime activities.

The UAE has ratified the following international conventions and protocols:

Ballast Water Management Convention 2004

Protocol  of 1988 relating to the International Convention on Load Lines 1966

Protocol of 1988 relating to; International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974 (SOLAS)

International Convention for Safe Containers (1972).

H.E. Dr. Abdulla Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the FTA - Land and Maritime, noted the efforts exerted by the FTA in cooperation with all concerned authorities in the UAE, highlighting the FTA’s commitment to international standards and compliance with international maritime conventions and protocols. He added that the Authority has developed the working plans to meet the international requirements, and lauded the country’s efforts to improve the maritime sector and help create a safe and secure marine environment for a sustainable maritime community.

The confirmation to comply with international maritime conventions and protocols will enhance the country’s activities related to the safety of lives at sea, provide secure conditions for international shipping, and establish better conditions for safe navigation for sea cargo and passenger transport.

“The UAE has several competitive advantages to qualify for membership in the IMO Council and enjoys strong capabilities at par with countries with advanced maritime industries, a number of which have major interests in international maritime trade. The UAE also enjoys a strategic location, ideal for doing business in the Arab Gulf and the broader MENA region,” he concluded.

Ballast Water Management Convention 2004

This 2004 IMO treaty aims to control and manage ballast water to decrease invasive species that enter from the marine environment into territorial waters.

1988 Protocol of the International Convention on Load Lines for 1966

Any vessel subject to this Convention shall not sail on an international voyage unless it has been subjected to inspection, marked and given the International Load Lines Certificate of 1966, or an international exemption certificate for load lines in accordance with the provisions of the Convention. Any vessel subject to the provisions of this resolution and the Convention shall not set a load line that exceeds the minimum load line established under the requirements of the Convention annex.

1988 Protocol for the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974

The main goal of the SOLAS convention is to establish the minimum standards for constructing, equipping and operating ships consistent with their safety. Countries shall be responsible in ensuring that vessels carrying its flag shall comply with the SOLAS requirements by issuing certificates provided for in the Convention as evidence of compliance.

The International Convention for Safe Containers

Containers loaded with goods must be weighed, with the weight document issued for each unit according to the definition of the container within this decision, provided that the container is packed from any of the UAE ports before being loaded onto any ship subject to the provisions of Chapter VI of the Convention, whether for export or re-export. Containers loaded with goods from other countries for the purpose of re-shipping and exporting from the ports of the UAE should pay a re-export fee, and their confirmed weight verified either at the ports of the countries where they were loaded or through a prior agreement between the shipper and the carrier.