As informed by earlier issue of Technical Information No.321 dated 28 July 1999 (partly revised in No.327 dated 6 Sep.1999), the 1988 Protocol of SOLAS and Load Line Convention will enter into force on and after 3rd February 2000. Regarding this matter, please be informed of the general procedure for Survey and Certification during the period when the present system of Survey and Certification is shifting into the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC).

General
1. For the vessel, the Statutory Certificates of which have been fully or partly issued by their flag government or other Society, Survey and Certification are dealt with in accordance with the instruction from their flag government.
2. Survey and Certification of MARPOL 73/78, IGC Code and IBC/BCH Code is shifting into the HSSC after Renewal Survey of MARPOL 73/78, irrespective of whether the flag government is a Contract Party to the 1988 Protocol of SOLAS and Load Line Convention.
3. In accordance with IMO Resolution A.883(21), Contract Parties to the SOLAS and Load Line Convention but not Parties to 1988 Protocol of SOLAS and Load Line Convention may implement the HSSC provided they inform IMO Secretary - General of this adoption.
4. For the vessels registered in flag governments which are neither Parties to 1988 Protocol nor the Parities which have adopted the above IMO Resolution A.883(21), Survey and Certification are dealt with according to the present system until the government's instruction has been issued specially.
5. For the vessels registered in flag governments which are Parties to 1988 Protocol or the Parities which have adopted the above IMO Resolution A.883(21), Survey and Certification is shifting into HSSC in accordance with the following Detail.

Contract Parties
1. The following states/area are Contract Parties to the 1988 Protocol of SOLAS and Load Line Convention.
Argentina Aruba Australia
Bahamas Chile Cyprus
Denmark Egypt Equatorial Guinea
Greece Liberia Luxembourg
Malta Marshall Islands Mexico
Netherlands Netherlands Antilles Oman
Seychelles Singapore Tunisia
Vanuatu Venezuela

2. The following state adopts the IMO Resolution A.883(21)
Barbados




Detail
1. All the Statutory Certificates, which have been issued before 3rd February 2000, remain valid until they expire.

2. In the present system of Survey and Certification for cargo ships, there are generally three (3) kinds of validity for the major Statutory Certificates as follows.
(a) Certificates of 5 years validity
･Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate (SC Certificate)
･International Load Line Certificate (LL Certificate)
･International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate (IOPP Certificate)
･International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk
(IBC Certificate)
･Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (BCH Certificate)
･International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Liquefied Gases in Bulk
(IGC Certificate)
･International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Noxious Liquid Substance in Bulk (NLS Certificate)
(b) Certificate of 2 years validity
Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate (SE Certificate)
(c) Certificate of 1 year validity
Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate (SR Certificate)
As the basic principle to unify all the due dates of above Statutory Certificates to be valid for 5 years period, all the existing certific