Protocol of 1978 relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974

Document type: Multilateral
Field of application: Global
Date: Feb 17, 1978
Source: IUCN (ID: TRE-000109)

Title abbreviation: SOLAS PROT 1978
Title (French): Protocole relatif à la Convention internationale pour la sauvegarde de la vie humaine en mer
Title (Other): Protokoll von 1978 zu dem Internationalen Übereinkommen zum Schutz des menschlichen Lebens auf See
Place of adoption: London
Depository: IMO International Maritime Organization
Language: Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
Entry into force: May 1, 1981
Subject: Sea
Keyword: Policy/planning Transport/storage Data collection/reporting Law reform/harmonization/deregulation Navigation Certification Inspection Jurisdictional competence Maritime zone Standards
Geographical area: North Sea

Abstract: Objectives: To improve further the safety of ships, particularly tankers. Summary of provisions: The Protocol was adopted under the SOLAS Convention in the framework of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Regulations of Chapter I are amended to provide for, inter alia, inspections and surveys of ships and passenger ships, surveys of life-saving appliances and other equipment of cargo ships for the purpose of ensuring that they comply fully with the requirements of the Convention and the Protocol and, where applicable, the International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea in force, surveys of hull, machinery and equipment of cargo ships, including intermediate surveys of tankers of ten years of age and over, and maintenance of conditions after surveys. Regulations of Chapter II are amended to, inter alia, add definitions, apply regulations relating to machinery and electrical installations to tankers, and modify existing fire safety measures and cargo tank protection measures to include 'new tankers' as defined in the Protocol. Finally, Chapter V is amended to modify provisions relating to shipborne navigational equipment, use of the automatic pilot, operation of steering gear in areas where navigation demands special caution, and steering gear for testing and drilling.
Full text: English French
Website: www.imo.org

Country/Territory/Participant

Countries	Entry into force	Ratification *	Simple signature
Albania	Sep 7, 2004	Jun 7, 2004 [2]	-
Algeria	Feb 3, 1984	Nov 3, 1983 [2]	-
Angola	Jan 3, 1992	Oct 3, 1991 [2]	-
Antigua and Barbuda	May 9, 1987	Feb 9, 1987 [2]	-
Argentina	May 24, 1982	Feb 24, 1982 [2]	-
Australia	Nov 17, 1983	Aug 17, 1983 [2]	-
Austria	Aug 27, 1988	May 27, 1988 [2]	-
Bahamas	May 1, 1981	Feb 16, 1979 [2]	-
Barbados	Aug 29, 1984	May 29, 1984 [2]	-
Belgium	May 1, 1981	Sep 24, 1979 [1]	Sep 8, 1978
Belize	Jul 2, 1991	Apr 2, 1991 [2]	-
Benin	May 11, 2000	Feb 11, 2000 [2]	-
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)	Sep 4, 1999	Jun 4, 1999 [2]	-
Brazil	Feb 20, 1986	Nov 20, 1985 [2]	-
Brunei Darussalam	Jan 23, 1987	Oct 23, 1986 [2]	-
Bulgaria	Feb 2, 1984	Nov 2, 1983 [2]	-
Cambodia	Feb 28, 1995	Nov 28, 1994 [2]	-
Chile	Oct 15, 1992	Jul 15, 1992 [2]	-
China	Mar 17, 1983	Dec 17, 1982 [2]	-
Colombia	May 1, 1981	Oct 31, 1980 [2]	-
Comoros	Feb 22, 2001	Nov 22, 2000 [2]	-
Congo	Aug 19, 2014	May 19, 2014 [2]	-
Costa Rica	Sep 6, 2011	Jun 6, 2011 [2]	-
Croatia	Oct 8, 1991	Oct 8, 1991 [4]	-
Cuba	Sep 19, 1992	Jun 19, 1992 [2]	-
Cyprus	Jan 11, 1986	Oct 11, 1985 [2]	-
Czech Republic	Jan 1, 1993	Jan 1, 1993 [4]	-
Côte d'Ivoire	Jan 5, 1988	Oct 5, 1987 [2]	-
Denmark	May 1, 1981	Nov 27, 1980 [2]	-
Dominica	Sep 21, 2000	Jun 21, 2000 [2]	-
Ecuador	Aug 21, 2008	May 21, 2008 [2]	-
Egypt	Nov 7, 1986	Aug 7, 1986 [2]	-
Equatorial Guinea	Jul 24, 1996	Apr 24, 1996 [2]	-
Estonia	Mar 16, 1992	Dec 16, 1991 [2]	-
Ethiopia	Apr 3, 1986	Jan 3, 1986 [2]	-
Fiji	Oct 28, 2004	Jul 28, 2004 [2]	-
Finland	May 1, 1981	Apr 30, 1981 [2]	-
France	May 1, 1981	Dec 21, 1979 [3]	Jan 26, 1979
Germany	May 1, 1981	Jun 6, 1980 [1]	Nov 16, 1978
Ghana	Aug 19, 1983	May 19, 1983 [2]	-
Greece	Oct 17, 1981	Jul 17, 1981 [2]	-
Grenada	Sep 28, 2004	Jun 28, 2004 [2]	-
Guinea	Jan 2, 2003	Oct 21, 2002 [2]	-
Guyana	Mar 10, 1998	Dec 10, 1997 [2]	-
Honduras	Dec 24, 1985	Sep 24, 1985 [2]	-
Hungary	May 3, 1982	Feb 3, 1982 [2]	-
Iceland	Oct 6, 1983	Jul 6, 1983 [2]	-
India	Jul 3, 1986	Apr 3, 1986 [2]	-
Indonesia	Nov 23, 1988	Aug 23, 1988 [2]	-
Iran, Islamic Republic of	Nov 30, 2000	Aug 31, 2000 [2]	-
Ireland	Feb 29, 1984	Nov 29, 1983 [2]	-
Israel	Nov 21, 1981	Aug 21, 1981 [2]	-
Italy	Jan 1, 1983	Oct 1, 1982 [2]	-
Jamaica	Nov 17, 2005	Aug 17, 2005 [2]	-
Japan	May 1, 1981	May 15, 1980 [2]	-
Kazakhstan	Jun 7, 1994	Mar 7, 1994 [2]	-
Kenya	Oct 7, 2015	Jul 7, 2015 [2]	-
Kiribati	May 5, 2007	Feb 5, 2007 [2]	-
Korea, Dem. People's Rep.	Aug 1, 1985	May 1, 1985 [2]	-
Korea, Republic of	Mar 2, 1983	Dec 2, 1982 [2]	-
Kuwait	May 1, 1981	Jun 29, 1979 [2]	-
Latvia	Nov 5, 2005	Aug 5, 2005 [2]	-
Lebanon	Feb 29, 1984	Nov 29, 1983 [2]	-
Liberia	May 1, 1981	Oct 28, 1980 [1]	Oct 24, 1978
Libya	Oct 2, 1981	Jul 2, 1981 [2]	-
Lithuania	Mar 4, 1992	Dec 4, 1991 [2]	-
Luxembourg	May 14, 1991	Feb 14, 1991 [2]	-
Malaysia	Jan 19, 1984	Oct 19, 1983 [2]	-
Malta	Nov 8, 1986	Aug 8, 1986 [2]	-
Marshall Islands	Jul 26, 1988	Apr 26, 1988 [2]	-
Mauritania	Feb 24, 1998	Nov 24, 1997 [2]	-
Mexico	Sep 30, 1983	Jun 30, 1983 [1]	Jun 1, 1978
Montenegro	Jun 3, 2006	Jun 3, 2006 [4]	-
Morocco	Apr 30, 2001	Jan 30, 2001 [2]	-
Myanmar	Feb 11, 1988	Nov 11, 1987 [2]	-
Namibia	Feb 27, 2001	Nov 27, 2000 [2]	-
Netherlands	May 1, 1981	Jul 8, 1980 [3]	Nov 17, 1978
New Zealand	May 23, 1990	Feb 23, 1990 [2]	-
Nigeria	Feb 13, 1985	Nov 13, 1984 [2]	-
Norway	May 1, 1981	Mar 25, 1981 [2]	-
Oman	Jul 25, 1985	Apr 25, 1985 [2]	-
Pakistan	Jul 10, 1985	Apr 10, 1985 [2]	-
Palau	Dec 29, 2011	Sep 29, 2011 [2]	-
Panama	Oct 14, 1982	Jul 14, 1982 [2]	-
Peru	Oct 16, 1982	Jul 16, 1982 [2]	-
Poland	Jun 15, 1984	Mar 15, 1984 [1]	Oct 16, 1978
Portugal	Feb 7, 1984	Nov 7, 1983 [2]	-
Romania	Apr 14, 2008	Jan 14, 2008 [2]	-
Russian Federation	Aug 12, 1981	May 12, 1981 [2]	-
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Sep 11, 2004	Jun 11, 2004 [2]	-
Saint Lucia	Aug 20, 2004	May 20, 2004 [2]	-
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Oct 13, 1987	Jul 13, 1987 [2]	-
Samoa	Jun 14, 1997	Mar 14, 1997 [2]	-
Sao Tome and Principe	Jan 29, 1999	Oct 29, 1998 [2]	-
Saudi Arabia	Jun 2, 1990	Mar 2, 1990 [2]	-
Senegal	Apr 16, 1997	Jan 16, 1997 [2]	-
Serbia	Jun 3, 2006	Jun 3, 2006 [4]	-
Seychelles	Aug 10, 1988	May 10, 1988 [2]	-
Sierra Leone	Jun 10, 2008	Mar 10, 2008 [2]	-
Singapore	Sep 1, 1984	Jun 1, 1984 [2]	-
Slovakia	Jan 1, 1993	Jan 1, 1993 [4]	-
Slovenia	Jun 25, 1991	Jun 25, 1991 [4]	-
South Africa	Apr 11, 1982	Jan 11, 1982 [2]	-
Spain	May 1, 1981	Apr 30, 1980 [2]	-
Sweden	May 1, 1981	Dec 21, 1979 [1]	Mar 1, 1979
Switzerland	Jul 1, 1982	Apr 1, 1982 [2]	-
Syrian Arab Republic	Oct 20, 2001	Jul 20, 2001 [2]	-
Togo	Oct 19, 1989	Jul 19, 1989 [2]	-
Tonga	Dec 18, 2003	Sep 18, 2003 [2]	-
Trinidad and Tobago	Sep 7, 2012	Jun 7, 2012 [2]	-
Tunisia	May 1, 1981	Aug 6, 1980 [2]	-
Turkey	Dec 3, 2013	Sep 3, 2013 [2]	-
Tuvalu	Sep 30, 2004	Jun 30, 2004 [2]	-
Ukraine	Oct 16, 1992	Jul 16, 1992 [2]	-
United Arab Emirates	Mar 15, 1984	Dec 15, 1983 [2]	-
United Kingdom	May 1, 1981	Nov 5, 1979 [1]	Aug 24, 1978
United States of America	May 1, 1981	Aug 12, 1980 [1]	Jun 27, 1978
Uruguay	May 1, 1981	Apr 30, 1979 [2]	-
Vanuatu	Oct 28, 1982	Jul 28, 1982 [2]	-
Viet Nam	Jan 12, 1993	Oct 12, 1992 [2]	-
Yugoslavia	-	-	Jul 3, 1978

* [1] Ratification [2] Accession/approbation [3] Acceptance/approval [4] Succession [5] Consent to be bound [6] Definite signature

References - Treaties

Amends: International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)

Treaty | Multilateral | London | Nov 1, 1974

Keyword: Maritime zone, Certification, Data collection/reporting, Transport/storage, Navigation

Source: IUCN (ID: TRE-000115)

Superseded by: Protocol of 1988 relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974

Treaty | Multilateral | London | Nov 11, 1988

Keyword: Data collection/reporting, Standards, Inspection, Transport/storage, Maritime zone, Jurisdictional competence, Certification, Law reform/harmonization/deregulation, Navigation

Source: IUCN (ID: TRE-001015)

Other references

Literature: 3 records related to this treaty. View literature

Country/Territory/Participant

References - Treaties

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)

Protocol of 1988 relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974

Other references