Message from the Secretary-General
Welcome to the December edition of the IALA e-Bulletin which is now undoubtedly established as our regular news medium and which I hope you will continue to support.
Conference
The first announcement has now been issued and all necessary details are available on our website for the 20th IALA Conference to be held from 27 May to 3 June 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Conference business will be preceded by the 4th Heritage Seminar and a World-Wide Academy pre-Conference Seminar.
In Rio the theme of the Conference will be ‘Marine Aids to Navigation – Innovation for a Sustainable Future’.
Sessions’ papers are being prepared to meet a closing date of 1 March. Presentation File Deadline will be 1 May and I am sure you will not be disappointed by the broad spectrum of topics to be discussed.
As I write Early Bird Registration is available until 31 January and then Regular -Registration from 1 February to 14 May.
The first announcement and other details including the programme are available here: https://iala-brazil2023.rio.br/news/20th-iala-conference-2023-1st-announcement
During Council 76 in Rio de Janeiro this month, it was great meeting our conference hosts again and with the Secretariat inspecting the splendid facilities being provided.
Committees
At IALA we now welcome delegates once again for physical meetings at St Germain-en-Laye. Although the last few years have been difficult, we are taking the benefits of the virtual committee arrangements to the physical domain. As a result of the new arrangements, please note that the second semester 2022 committees commenced on Monday morning. All closing plenaries were held online the week after the physical weeks. Participants must register before attending the events. Please remember to book through the Calendar.
Events
September saw us facilitate two events relative to PAWSA and MASS, the first by online means and distance learning, the second with a virtual and face-to-face meetings at HQ and success was reported in each well-subscribed event.
We provided facilities for the Maritime Connectivity Platform (MCP) seminar on Identity Management and Security conveniently arranged on 24 September at IALA HQ between meetings of VTS 53 and ENAV 30.
Then in November I was invited to speak at Navigating To 2050 – A safe and sustainable maritime future. This was hosted by Irish Lights in Dublin Castle and was hugely successful in bringing together key national and international leaders to debate a safe and sustainable route to 2050. Key issues concerned: decarbonisation, alternative fuel types, autonomous systems and ships, digitalisation of navigation and related technology as well as offshore renewable energy development, and maritime spatial planning.
World-Wide Academy
The IALA World-Wide Academy conducted a mission in the Seychelles islands in September and I commend to you a short film (6.43) to illustrate the activities of our team with regard to environmental protection and the safety of navigation in these waters. See here: https://www.iala.int/wwa-mission-in-seychelles/
At the end of November the Academy, together with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the Port of Melbourne and Ports Victoria, ran a highly successful training course on the IALA Risk Management tools. This course was conducted by way of distance learning from 17 October to 11 November 2022 using the virtual IALA Campus of ten tutor-led hours. This was followed by In-person training from 21 to 25 of November 2022 at the Port Education Centre in Melbourne, where residential facilities were provided.
The Convention
With regard to the Convention on the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation there have now been thirteen ratifications, acceptances or accessions and the latest State to comply by December was France.
To close once, again I thank all our valuable contributors to the e-Bulletin for their excellent efforts and extend the invitation to our worldwide membership to submit articles in the months ahead.
Wherever you are, ashore or afloat, in the service craft, at the VTS centre or in the buoy yard or part of a maintenance team I wish you and your families every good wish for the Festive Season and the Year ahead.
Francis Zachariae
