Egypt as a signatory

to

International Treaties and Conventions

 

 Egypt has been a member of  ITU (the International Telecommunication Union) since 1876.  Egypt signed ITU constitution and convention which have been ratified by the People's Assembly and the President of Egypt.  Any amendments that might take place to the constitution or the convention in shall be ratifed in its general meetings.

 

GMDSS International Conventions:

A. International Convention for the Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS-74)

 The President of Egypt issued resolution number 372 for the year 1981 (dated 29-7-1981), approving this convention after proposing it to the People's Assembly.

 Some amendments recurred to SOLAS, the most important of which was the revision of Chapter 4 of the convention in the year 1988, where GMDSS was originated.  This system operates on a basis of prompt warning of the shore search and rescue authorities.  It also guides the ships in the neighboring regions in case of emergency.  Its operation is based on the spread of marine safety information (aviation and navigation alerts).  This system was implemented gradually starting from 1993 till 1st February 1999.  Then it became binding to all ships of the signatory states which had signed the convention.

 These amendments do not require constitutional procedures to be adopted by the member states, where the approved document was submitted to IMO Secretary General. If the member states not object to such amendments during a defined period of time, the amendments would be final, valid and binding to all the member states.  Thus the convention was implemented by virtue of the implicit approval of the member states.  Therefore the convention and amendments are binding to Egypt.

B. International Convention on Standards of Training, Certificates &

Watch keeping (STCW-78)

 The President of Egypt had issued the resolution No. 180 for the year 1980, which approved entering this convention that was revised in 1995 and included GMDSS provisions.  This convention is binding to Egypt as well.

C. Mediterranean countries Memorandum of Understanding

 By virtue of the presidential decree No. 176 for the year 2000, Egypt joined the Mediterranean MoU. Accordingly, the states would detain the vessels which would not abide by the implementation of SOLAS convention, and all the amendments that should be taken in the foreign harbors till the completion of the convention’s requirements (such as holding  some crew members to the GMDSS certificates as stated by the international STCW convention which was amended in 1995.  Thus it is binding to Egypt.