Vietnam's Implementation Plan of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments 2024

Vietnam's Implementation Plan of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments 2024 (Internet image)

On June 14, 2024, the Prime Minister of Vietnam issued Decision 515/QD-TTg approving the Implementation Plan of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments 2024.

Vietnam's Implementation Plan of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments 2024 

The tasks outlined in the Implementation Plan of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments 2024 are as follows:

- Participating and coordinating with member countries of the convention in implementing control activities to prevent marine pollution and the destruction of indigenous ecosystems by alien species transported through ballast water. Implementation time: Regularly.

- Issuing, amending, supplementing, and abolishing legal documents to fully and comprehensively implement the provisions of the BWM Convention 2024. Implementation time: From 2024 to 2030.

- Conducting state port inspections for foreign vessels arriving at Vietnamese ports, including measurement, sampling, and assessment of ballast water to serve inspection and state port inspection activities (if applicable). Implementation time: Regularly.

- Organizing the implementation of inspection, assessment, and issuance of International Ballast Water Management Certificate in accordance with the requirements of the BWM Convention 2024, issuing the certificate for Ballast Water Management System. Implementation time: Regularly.

- Identifying and announcing appropriate ballast water exchange positions in accordance with the provisions of the BWM Convention 2024 if necessary. Implementation time: Regularly.

- Investigating, detecting, and handling violations by Vietnamese-flagged vessels, related organizations, and individuals; foreign vessels operating in the waters of Vietnam that do not comply with the provisions of the BWM Convention 2024 (including port waters, territorial waters, and exclusive economic zone). Implementation time: Regularly.

- Promoting technical cooperation with member countries to exchange experiences, train state port officials, technical officers, exchange information, transfer technology, and encourage scientific research on ballast water management. Implementation time: Regularly.

- Taking advantage of participating in IMO meetings to promote international cooperation, enhance enforcement capacity, and protect the interests of Vietnam in implementing the BWM Convention 2024. Implementation time: Annually.

- Negotiating proposals to amend the provisions of the BWM Convention 2024 to the International Maritime Organization and member countries to be in line with the actual situation in the region and internationally. Implementation time: Regularly.

- Requesting technical support, coordination, and cooperation in the region from the International Maritime Organization and organizations and countries during the implementation of the provisions of the BWM Convention 2024. Implementation time: Regularly.

- Budgeting and allocating funds for measurement, sampling, and assessment of ballast water to serve inspection and state port inspection activities. Implementation time: Annually.

- Disseminating and popularizing the contents of the BWM Convention 2024 to management agencies, maritime transport enterprises, ports, shipbuilding and repairing facilities, and relevant organizations and individuals. Implementation time: Regularly.

- Training and providing knowledge on the contents of the BWM Convention 2024 for maritime inspectors, surveyors, and relevant agencies and organizations operating in the maritime sector. Implementation time: Annually.

- Notifying control actions to vessels subject to inspections and simultaneously sending the violations to the maritime authorities of the inspected vessels. Additionally, inform relevant port authorities of all related violation information that cannot be rectified by the vessel. Implementation time: Regularly.

- Encouraging, promoting, and creating conditions for domestic and international organizations and individuals to participate in scientific research and develop ballast water management systems. Implementation time: Regularly.

- Deciding on exemptions for vessels of a Convention Member that only operate in the waters under Vietnam's jurisdiction and exempting the installation of the Ballast Water Management System for vessels undertaking a single voyage or specific voyages between ports or locations. Implementation time: Regularly.

- Reviewing and negotiating agreements with member countries of the BWM Convention 2024 to implement the exemptions provided by the BWM Convention 2024.

More details can be found in Decision 515/QD-TTg, which comes into force from June 14, 2024.

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE