Figures leaked by the ICC suggest that the majority of ports and ships operating across Europe have yet to be certified to the ISPS Code
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has called on Governments to urgently process compliance certification applications from ports and shipping lines in accord with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. The deadline for implementation was 1 July, but by late June security measures had been certified for only 9% of 20,722 ships, while a mere 5.4% of 5,578 ports surveyed had received security approvals, writes Keith Nuthall.

The International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) Code requires shipping terminals and shipping lines to appoint security officers at transhipment facilities and aboard their vessels in order to police security measures and procedures. Without certification, the ICC is fearful that countries, their ports and shipping will effectively be 'blacklisted' as bona fide shipping operators begin to avoid them.

"Failure to meet these conditions could seriously disrupt – or at worse bring to a halt – the flow of international commerce," warns the ICC in an official statement obtained by SMT. "Non-compliance could also result in distortions in competition between ports, operators and countries, and may have longer term implications for businesses and national economies."

IMO did not actually publish the figures, which were leaked by the ICC, but when questioned an IMO spokesperson told SMT: "Our secretary general has called on more than one occasion for all Member Governments to redouble their efforts in a bid to fully comply with this legislation."

The IMO survey was based on responses from 35 countries, with the results covering 65% of ship numbers and 83% of tonnage. The results were released to IMO's Maritime Safety Committee at a recent meeting. It approved further guidelines on implementing the Code, such as security measures and procedures at the ship/port interfaces and shipyards. The Committee also released a complimentary draft International Labour Office/IMO Code of Practice on security in ports.

The survey's release follows hot-on-the-heels of an Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) report advising "Governments and transport authorities... to tighten security of the freight container industry, and thus reduce the risk of possible terrorist attack."

The OECD notes that, although security on ships and at ports has been strengthened in recent times, little has been done to address inland security risks relating to cargo containers (of which there are 250 million movements every year).

Source

SMT