Centre for IMO Affairs
On 20 June 1967 the Minister of Shipping established the Polish Centre for IMO Affairs to conduct in-country matters relating to the activities of the IMO and the participation of Poland in the work of that Organization. The Centre operates at the Polish Register of Shipping as an institution closely related by the nature of its activities to the work and objectives of IMO. The basis for the Centre’s operation is the Rules of Procedure issued on 2 July 1974 by the Minister of Foreign Trade and Maritime Affairs.
The main responsibilities of the Centre include the preparation of substantive materials for the Polish delegation to the sessions of IMO bodies and informing the concerned institutions about the issues considered by IMO, as well as the topics prepared and foreseen to be taken up.
The Centre carries out its activities within specialised sections, which are the equivalent of IMO bodies. Sections analyse matters considered at sessions of IMO bodies, prepare positions of the Polish side and draw conclusions resulting from decisions taken by IMO.
The specialist sections of the Centre are composed of persons appointed by heads of offices, institutions and maritime enterprises as their representatives, as well as the specialists invited to cooperate by the President of the PRS Management Board. The chair and vice-chair of a given section are elected by the section members, whereas its secretary is a designated employee of the Centre.
Organisation of the Centre
The Centre currently has the following sections:
- Maritime Safety (MSC)
- Chair – vacancy
- Secretary – Hanna Słąba (PRS)
- Legal (LEG)
- Chair – Karolina Sypion-Babś (PRS)
- Secretary – Hanna Słąba (PRS)
- Marine Environment Protection (MEPC)
- Chair – Dr. Eng. Krzysztof Kołwzan (PRS)
- Secretary – Karolina Sypion-Babś (PRS)
- Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR)
- Chair – Wojciech Wąsowski (Gdynia Maritime Office)
- Secretary – Karolina Sypion-Babś (PRS)
- Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC)
- Chair – Dr. Marzenna Popek ,Assistant Professor (Gdynia Maritime University)
- Secretary – Hanna Słąba (PRS)
- Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR)
- Chair (NAV matters) – Dr. Eng. Paweł Zalewski, Assistant Professor (Maritime University of Szczecin)
- Vice-Chair (COMSAR matters) – Dr. Eng. Karol Korcz, Assistant Professor (Gdynia Maritime University)
- Secretary – Marta Kozak (PRS)
- Ship Design and Construction (SDC)
- Chair – Dr. Eng. Zbigniew Szozda, Assistant Professor (Maritime University of Szczecin)
- Secretary – Hanna Słąba (PRS)
- Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE)
- Chair (LSA matters) – Magdalena Jabłonowska (Orlen Petrobaltic S.A.)
- Vice-Chair (FP matters) – Bogdan Racięga (Baltic Fire Laboratory Sp. z o.o.)
- Secretary – Hanna Słąba (PRS)
- Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW)
- Chair – Dr. Eng. Henryk Śniegocki, Assistant Professor (Gdynia Maritime University)
- Vice-Chair – Dr. Eng. Przemysław Wilczyński, Assistant Professor (Gdynia Maritime University)
- Secretary – Marta Kozak (PRS)
- Implementation of IMO Instruments (III)
- Chair – Capt. Przemysław Lenard (Szczecin Maritime Office)
- Vice-Chair – Capt. Sławomir Hołyst (Gdynia Maritime Office)
- Secretary – Karolina Sypion-Babś (PRS)
For more information about IMO see the website: www.imo.org
