In the period 16-25 January 2019, the sixth session of the Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communication and Search and Rescue (NCSR) of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) was held in London under the supervision of Mr Ringo Lakeman from the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
The Polish delegation in the 6th session of the NCSR Sub-Committee included the following members:
- Wacław Bielawski, Polish Permanent Representative to IMO – the Head of the delegation,
- Cezary Puchacz, Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation - the Deputy Head of the delegation,
- Ryszard Wawruch, Gdynia Maritime University, the Head of the National NCSR Section – the Deputy Head of the delegation,
- Janusz Maziarz, Maritime Search and Rescue Service – a delegation member,
- Adam Weintrit, Gdynia Maritime University – a delegation member,
- Karol Korcz, Gdynia Maritime University – a delegation member,
- Paweł Zalewski, Maritime University of Szczecin – a delegation member,
- Andrzej Kowalski, the Hydrographic Office of the Polish Navy – a delegation member
- Henryk Nitner, the Hydrographic Office of the Polish Navy – a delegation member
The Dean of the Faculty of Navigation, Paweł Zalewski, DSc. Eng. Professor of MUS took part in the works of the Sub-Committee as an expert of the Polish delegation on navigation issues.
The subject matter of the sixth NCSR session included:
- establishment of new shipping routes and ending of the functioning of the MAREP ship reporting system,
- updating of the LRIT system,
- development of guidelines for the S-Mode of radar as well as ECDIS and integrated navigation system equipment,
- development of guidelines concerning definitions and harmonisation of the format and structure of digital maritime services (Maritime Services),
- development of satellite services for GMDSS, updating of GMDSS Master Plan and MSI guidance, including the addition of EGC Fleet Safety and Iridium service books,
- works connected with implementation of the Polar Code,
- review of chapters III and IV of SOLAS Convention,
- report of the 14th meeting of IMO/ITU joint expert group,
- updating of the A.810(19) resolution concerning 406MHz radio beacons,
- amendments to IAMSAR manual,
- standardisation of IMO requirements concerning safety and environmental protection,
- various issues including a report of the AMVER programme activity, results of IMPA campaign concerning increased safety while taking on and and discharging of a pilot, review of guidelines for VTS, progress in development of IEC standards form BAM, AIS, EGC, Navtex and EPIRB as well as progress on the ITU-T recommendation on smart management of delivery services in a smartport, conclusions on the use of ECDIS on the basis of maritime accidents examined by MAIB and DMAIB,
- presentation of changes in the Inmarsat and Japanese QZSS satellite navigation system.
Professor Zalewski participated in the works of the working group for navigation supervised by Mr Siu Man Chung (Hong Kong, China) within the scope of points 2), 3), 4), 6), 8) and 12). One of the most significant effects of the works during the sixth session of the NCSR Sub-Committee was establishment of the guidelines for the S-Mode, which were handed over to the 101th session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) with a view to their approval. The adopted name of the guidelines is “Guidelines for the standardization of user interface design for navigation equipment”, but they will still informally be known as the “S-Mode Guidelines”. Professor Zalewski, who participated in formulation of the guidelines through a correspondence group established in 2018 under the supervision of Mr Nick Lemon from Australia, during the session, was in charge of a group responsible for correction of the circular SN.1/Circ.243/Rev.1 concerning guidelines for presentation of symbols, terms and abbreviations related to navigation.