IMO Facilitation Committee 50th (FAL 50) Summary Report

The twelfth session of IMO Facilitation Committee (FAL 50) was held in person from the 23rd to the 27th of March 2026, with hybrid facilities allowing remote participation.

The Committee adopted:

• amendments to the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention) updating recommended practice 6.24, to encourage member states to provide vaccines and ensure access to medical care to seafarers during a public health crisis;
• a series of editorial amendments to the FAL Convention replacing the term "Maritime Declaration of Health" with "Ship Declaration of Health", to ensure consistency with amendments. adopted in 2024 by the World Health Organization, to the International Health Regulations.

FAL 50 approved with a view to adoption at FAL 51:

• amendments to the Annex of the FAL Convention to introduce reporting requirements for Advance Passenger Information (API) and Booking and Registration Information (BRI);
• amendment to the FAL Convention introducing a new standard in section 1, part C. "Systems for the electronic exchange of information" of the annex to the FAL Convention, to require that Contracting Government states implement cybersecurity requirements to safeguard their Maritime Single Window Platform;
• amendments to the Revised guidelines on the prevention of access by stowaways and the allocation of responsibilities to seek the successful resolution of stowaway cases (resolutions FAL.13(42) and MSC.448(99);
• revised guidelines concerning the recovery of deceased persons and death after recovery MSC-FAL.1/Circ.4.
• a revised and comprehensive list of publications relevant to ship/port interface operations (FAL.6/Circ.14/Rev.2).

FAL approved in principle a draft IMO Strategy on Maritime Digitalization for concurrent approval by MSC 111, MEPC 85 and LEG 114, with a view to adoption at Council 35.

FAL 50 updated the IMO FAL Compendium by including the following four new data sets:

• Meteorological and oceanographic observations data;
• Delivery bill for mail consignment;
• Ship Sanitation Certificate;
• Seafarers related information and STCW certificates.

It also agreed to include the IMO Compendium costs in the regular budget of the Organization beginning in 2028, as a permanent instrument and no longer just a project.

FAL 50 progressed on:

• amendments to the Revised guidelines for the prevention and suppression of the smuggling of drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals on ships engaged in international maritime traffic (resolutions FAL.9(34) and MSC.228(82));
• high-level business process flows and descriptions for each data set in the IMO reference model;
• developing an action plan to accompany the IMO Strategy on Maritime Digitalization.

FAL 50 strengthened the global implementation of Maritime Single Windows by launching a long term evaluation programme (until 2029), provisionally endorsing SMART indicators for monitoring.