FAL CONVENTION

MOST HUMAN ACTIVITIES ARE RELATED EITHER BY PRECEEDENT, CONVENTION OR REGULATIONS. MOST REGULATIONS ARE ESSENTIA, BUT SOMETIMES THE BECOME UNNECESSARY AND A BURDEN ON THE ACTIVITIES THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO CONTROL. THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY IS GLOBAL IN NATURE AND ALL THE COUNTRIES HAVE THEIR OWN REGULATIONS REGARDING CUSTOMS, IMMIGRATIONS AND OTHER STANDARDS. THUS A VESSEL VISITING MANY COUNTRIES IN THE COURSE OF HER VOYAGE HAS TO FILL UP MANY DECLARATION FORMS, OFTEN THESE FORMS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME BUT ARE IN DIFFERENT FORMATS. THIS PAPERWORK DEVELOPED AS THE SHIPPING TRADE DID. BY THE 1950s THIS CAME TO BE REGARDED NOT ONLY A BURDEN BUT ALSO A THREAT. BY THE EARLY 1960s, THE MARITIME NATIONS HAD DECIDED THAT THE SITUATION SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DETERIORATE FURTHER SO THEY TURNED TO IMO FOR HELP. AFTER A FEW MEETING IMO ADOPTED THE FAL CONVENTION FINALLY IN 1965.

THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE CONVENTION ARE:

1.      TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY DELAYS IN MARITIME TRAFFIC,

2.      TO AID CO-OPERATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS,

3.      TO SECURE THE HIGHEST PRACTICABLE DEGREE OF UNIFORMITY IN FORMALITIES AND OTHER PROCEDURES,

4.      IN PARTICULAR, THE CONVENTION REDUCES TO JUST EIGHT, THE NUMBER OF DECLARATIONSWHICH CAN BE REQUIRED BY PUBLIC AUTHORITIES.

THE CONVENTION CONTAINS STANDARDS AND RECOMMENDED PRACTICES ON FORMALITIES AND PROCEDURES WHICH SHOULD BE APPLIED ON ARRIVAL, STAY AND DEPARTURE TO THE SHIP ITSELF, TO ITS CREW, PASSENGERS, BAGGAGE AND CARGO. THE CONVENTION DEFINES STANDARDS AS INTENTIONS, AGREED MEASURES WHICH ARE NECESSARY AND PRACTICABLE IN ORDER TO FACILITATE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME TRAFFIC AND RECOMMENDED PRACTICES ARE MEASURES, THE APPLICATION OF WHICH IS DESIRABLE.

THE CONVENTION LISTS THE DOCUMENTS WHICH PUBLIC AUTHORITIES CAN DEMAND FROM A SHIP AND RECOMENDS THE MAXIMUM INFORMATION AND NUMBER OF COPIES WHICH SHOULD BE REQUIRED.

IMO HAS DEVELOPED STANDARDISED FORMS FOR THESE DOCUMENTS, THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1.      IMO GENERAL DECLARATION (ON ARRIVAL, STAY AND DEPARTURE)

2.      IMO CARGO DECLARATION (ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE)

3.      IMO SHIP STORE DECLARATION (ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE)

4.      IMO CREW’S EFFECT DECLARATION (ON ARRIVAL)

5.      IMO CREW LIST (ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE)

6.      IMO PASSENGER LIST (ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE)

7.      IMO DANGEROUS GOODS DECLARATION (ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE)

8.      IMO DECLARATION OF HEALTH (ON ARRIVAL)