FAL CONVENTION

QUESTIONS ASKED:
1. WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF FAL CONVENTION? WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS AND RECOMMENDED
PRACTICES UNDER THIS CONVENTION? ENUMERATE AND BRIEFLY DESCRIBE ALL THE IMO
STANDARDIZED FORMS TO BE CARRIED BY A VESSEL UNDER FAL CONVENTION? (MAY 08, FEB 10)
2. EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE OF FAL CONVENTION. (JAN 09)
3. WRITE A NOTE ON MARITIME DECLARATION OF HEALTH. DESCRIBE THE DOCUMENTS TO BE
PRODUCED TO OBTAIN FREE PRATIQUE AT A PORT OF ARRIVAL IN INDIA. (MAY 09)
4. WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF FAL CONVENTION? STATE BRIEFLY ON THE MEASURES OF
FACILITATIONS DURING SHIPS ARRIVAL, STAY IN PORT AND DEPARTURE FROM THE PORT?
ENUMERATE AND BRIEFLY DESCRIBE ALL THE IMO STANDARDIZED FORMS TO BE CARRIED BY A
VESSEL UNDER FAL CONVENTION? (JULY 09)

MOST HUMAN ACTIVITIES ARE RELATED EITHER BY PRECEEDENT, CONVENTION OR REGULATIONS.

MOST REGULATIONS ARE ESSENTIA, BUT SOMETIMES THE BECOME UNNECESSARY AND A BURDEN
ON THE ACTIVITIES THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO CONTROL. THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY IS GLOBAL IN
NATURE AND ALL THE COUNTRIES HAVE THEIR OWN REGULATIONS REGARDING CUSTOMS,
IMMIGRATIONS AND OTHER STANDARDS. THUS A VESSEL VISITING MANY COUNTRIES IN THE
COURSE OF HER VOYAGE HAS TO FILL UP MANY DECLARATION FORMS, OFTEN THESE FORMS ARE
EXACTLY THE SAME BUT ARE IN DIFFERENT FORMATS. THIS PAPERWORK DEVELOPED AS THE
SHIPPING TRADE DID. BY THE 1950s THIS CAME TO BE REGARDED NOT ONLY A BURDEN BUT ALSO A
THREAT. BY THE EARLY 1960s, THE MARITIME NATIONS HAD DECIDED THAT THE SITUATION SHOULD
NOT BE ALLOWED TO DETERIORATE FURTHER SO THEY TURNED TO IMO FOR HELP. AFTER A FEW
MEETING IMO ADOPTED THE FAL CONVENTION FINALLY IN 1965.
THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE CONVENTION ARE:
1. TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY DELAYS IN MARITIME TRAFFIC,
2. TO AID CO-OPERATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS,
3. TO SECURE THE HIGHEST PRACTICABLE DEGREE OF UNIFORMITY IN FORMALITIES AND OTHER
PROCEDURES,
4. IN PARTICULAR, THE CONVENTION REDUCES TO JUST EIGHT, THE NUMBER OF
DECLARATIONSWHICH CAN BE REQUIRED BY PUBLIC AUTHORITIES.

THE CONVENTION CONTAINS STANDARDS AND RECOMMENDED PRACTICES ON FORMALITIES AND

PROCEDURES WHICH SHOULD BE APPLIED ON ARRIVAL, STAY AND DEPARTURE TO THE SHIP ITSELF,
TO ITS CREW, PASSENGERS, BAGGAGE AND CARGO. THE CONVENTION DEFINES STANDARDS AS
INTENTIONS, AGREED MEASURES WHICH ARE NECESSARY AND PRACTICABLE IN ORDER TO
FACILITATE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME TRAFFIC AND RECOMMENDED PRACTICES ARE MEASURES,
THE APPLICATION OF WHICH IS DESIRABLE.
THE CONVENTION LISTS THE DOCUMENTS WHICH PUBLIC AUTHORITIES CAN DEMAND FROM A SHIP
AND RECOMENDS THE MAXIMUM INFORMATION AND NUMBER OF COPIES WHICH SHOULD BE
REQUIRED.

IMO HAS DEVELOPED STANDARDISED FORMS FOR THESE DOCUMENTS, THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. IMO GENERAL DECLARATION (ON ARRIVAL, STAY AND DEPARTURE)
2. IMO CARGO DECLARATION (ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE)
3. IMO SHIP STORE DECLARATION (ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE)
4. IMO CREW’S EFFECT DECLARATION (ON ARRIVAL)
5. IMO CREW LIST (ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE)
6. IMO PASSENGER LIST (ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE)
7. IMO DANGEROUS GOODS DECLARATION (ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE)
8. IMO DECLARATION OF HEALTH (ON ARRIVAL)