The Cargo Integrity Group (CIG) invites the administrations of 167 ports that participate in the container inspection programs based on the decisions of the general assemblies of the Member States of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in the context of improving the safety of maritime transport, to submit to the Organization the results of the inspections they have carried out.
According to resolutions adopted more than 20 years ago, IMO Member States agreed to carry out routine inspections in containers and other packaged cargo with the aim of transport security.
Based on the decisions these findings will be submitted annually to the IMO for collation and reporting so that there is an overall picture of the ports’ compliance levels with international regulations to record any improvements required in this critical area.
A CIG analysis reveals that less than 5% of the 167 port authorities covered by the agreement regularly submit the results of their inspections to the IMO.
CIG believes that the low number of reports means that there is insufficient data for the IMO or industry to draw reliable conclusions, effectively undermining improvement efforts the safety and sustainability of maritime container transport.
CIG partners believe that common and consistent reporting of audit findings is necessary for better communication, but also the existence of training programs aimed at improving safety.
The risk of not detecting random problems in several container shipments was recently demonstrated by series of fires and explosions on container ships.
The exact circumstances of these incidents remain under investigation, CIG is concerned that the measures already put in place to help identify potential weaknesses are not fully implemented.
CIG partner organizations are also concerned by reports that the IMO is considering stopping the collection and publication of the reports in such a form that it is easily accessible to the industry.