MARINE accident investigators from more than 29 countries will assemble in Hong Kong on May 9 to give finishing touches to the terms of reference and charter of the Marine Accident Investigators International Forum (MAIIF).
Hosted by the Marine Department, the third meeting of the MAIIF will also provide an opportunity for the investigators to finalise the proposals for the modification of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Resolution A637 (16). The aim is to obtain better co-operation among maritime administrations and to develop a directory of casualty investigation practices of different administrations.
They will look at ways to develop a new chapter for the IMO Convention on Safety of Life at Sea, to establish uniform principles and procedures for marine accident investigations.
''As investigators are often called upon to investigate accidents involving ships of another flag state, the forum provides an arena for investigators from different maritime authorities around the world to discuss issues of common concern,'' the department's principal surveyor of the Marine Department, Mathal Varghese said yesterday.