The July 1 deadline passed quietly and no Gulf port has implemented the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, shipping officials said.
The ISPS Code was adopted in December 2002. The code is mandatory under amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (Solas).
Dubai ports are currently undergoing a comprehensive Port Facilities Security Assessment (PFSA) based on a security survey to comply with the international code, a Dubai Ports Authority (DPA) spokes-man said.
"We are awaiting PFSA's approval. We expect to become ISPS code compliant soon," he told Gulf News.
Many other ports in the region are following suit, but none has received the vital compliance certification yet.
The latest ISPS code implementation figures show a continuous improvement, particularly as far as port facilities are concerned, according to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Globally, 53.4 per cent of ports have their Port Facilities Security Plans (PFSP) approved by certification organisations. Among the 7,974 global ports requiring the code, 4,688 have submitted their PFSP, and 4,260 have been approved.
Non-compliance with the ISPS code, made mandatory by the IMO, could now result in a breakdown in the global supply chain following the deadline, sources said.
Following non-compliance, ports now can reject vessels for berths on security grounds. Similarly, vessels can also refuse to enter ports that have not received certification.
Vessels without code compliance certificates risk a ban from the 7,974 ports as well as loss of insurance unless they comply with the latest anti-terrorist measures, as the July 1 deadline passed.
Under this code, ship owners, ports and terminal operators must have individual security plans and designated security officers.
The latest figures by the IMO on the eve of the deadline, suggest the majority of ships and ports will have achieved full compliance and more will do so.
Among the 22,539 ships liable to the ISPS code, 19,377 have submitted Ship Security Plans (SSP), while 11,996 received International Ship Security Certificates (ISSC), or 53.2 per cent of the ships.
"The figures released indicate that the number of port facility security plans submitted and approved has increased significantly in the week before July 1, 2004," Efthimios Mitro-poulos, IMO secretary-general, said on Wednesday.
"Although the figures are changing constantly, the percentage of port facility plans approval is caught up with the percentage of ISSC issued.
"It is clear that all parties concerned, governments and the industry alike, are doing their utmost to be ready for the entry-into-force date."
Gulf News
