Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2024-02-05 (Subject to Confirmation at the next Meeting)

Accession to the 1988 Protocol of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS) and the 1988 Protocol of the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 as amended in 2003

- The Government of Sri Lanka has contributed tremendously to the development of Sri Lanka as a Maritime Nation by ratifying 19 Maritime Conventions and Protocols over the past 40 years. Member States are required to comply with the Conventions of the International Maritime Organization and in order to meet that requirement and to be able to include provisions for the 1988 Protocol of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 and the 1988 Protocol of the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 as amended in 2003, measures have been taken to amend the Merchant Shipping Act, No.52 of 1971. Accordingly, the proposal made by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Services to access to the aforesaid Protocols by depositing the instruments of accession documents through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with the depositories related to the Protocols, was approved by the Cabinet.