What is a Maritime Administration?

 

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The United Nations (UN)

We can start with the United Nations. The United Nations is representatives from more than 100 countries in an organisation, to address world issues. Within the UN, there are many councils and organisations. It is supposed to work like this: the World Health Organisation is the part of the UN for health issues. The Ministry of Health in your country will attend WHO meetings and be the point of contact for WHO guidelines. The Ministry of National Security will attend UN Security Council meetings and be the point of contact for security guidelines, for example on drug trafficking or terrorism.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO)

The IMO is the part of the United Nations that has responsibility for the sea and shipping. The IMO calls on the world's experts in the sea and shipping to provide guidance and recommendations to people who use the sea, boats and ships. The Maritime Authority in your country will attend meetings at the IMO and administer the guidance of the IMO.

IMO Conventions

Within the IMO there are many conventions and committees with different responsibilities. Here are a few.

STCW 

STCW is the convention that deals with the issues concerning seafarer training certification and watch keeping.

SOLAS

SOLAS is an abbreviation of Safety of Life at Sea and is the convention that deals with the issues concerning the safety of seafarers and ships. SOLAS includes chapters on:

- how ships should be constructed, including the grades of steel to be used in parts of the ship that need to be strengthened to resist forces of the sea and fire.

- the life saving equipment that should be carried on ships, including how and when to service them.

- the firefighting, fire prevention and fire detection equipment that should be carried on ships, including how and when to service them.

- how to carry different types of cargoes safely.

- how to operate a safety management system on boats and in a shipping company

MARPOL

MARPOL is the convention that deals with the issues concerning the prevention of pollution from ships. MARPOL includes annexes on: 

- preventing oil pollution from all ships and ports. 

- preventing air pollution from ships exhaust systems.

- preventing garbage pollution from ships and ports. 

The International Labour Organisation (ILO)

The International Labour Organisation is also part of the United Nations. The ILO is the part of the UN working to improve working conditions and living standards throughout the world. 

MLC

The Maritime Labour Convention, or MLC, is the part of the ILO working to set the standard for countries and ship owners that want to provide decent working and living conditions for seafarers.

Maritime Authority

A maritime authority is usually a department of the government of a country. A maritime authority is responsible for the administration of shipping and boating issues and laws within their countries waters and on boats and ships registered in their country.

Maritime authorities are responsible for standards and issuing of seafarer certification on boats and ships registered in their country. Maritime authorities sometimes enter into reciprocal arrangements with other maritime authorities whereby they agree to accept seafarers with the each others certificates. 

Flag State

When a Maritime Authority is dealing with an issue on one of the ships or boats registered in its country, it is referred to as the flag state.

Port State

When a Maritime Authority is dealing with an issue in the country's waters on a ship or boat registered in another country, it is referred to as the port state.

Caribbean MOU

The Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding, CMOU, is a collection of Maritime Authorities in the Caribbean. The CMOU is focused on port state control issues.