At a meeting of the Government of Turkmenistan, which took place on January 26, 2024, was considered the issue of Turkmenistan’s accession to the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL), which was adopted in 1965 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

As it is known, the works are carried out by «Turkmendenizderyayollary» agency to improve and regulate procedures for the registration of ships and cargo arriving at the Turkmenbashi International Seaport. On August 26, 1993, Turkmenistan was admitted as a member of the IMO and has so far acceded to several conventions of this organization. IMO is an international intergovernmental organization, a specialized agency of the UN, which organizes maritime safety and environmental protection, as well as resolving a number of issues related to international shipping.

Currently, 129 countries around the world have joined the FAL Convention. The Convention imposes on the Parties the obligation to cooperate in ensuring complete uniformity of formalities and requirements for documents and procedures in all areas where such uniformity will facilitate and improve international maritime traffic, and reduces to a minimum any changes in formalities, requirements for documents and procedures. The provisions of the Convention require the creation, implementation and use of a “single window” system for t  he purpose of submitting information in electronic form related to the entry and departure of sea vessels from the ports of member countries of the convention.

At the same time, in order to submit information and documents once, as well as their possible reuse, government agencies supervising ships and cargo must use electronic information systems. The “single window” requirement is mandatory in all ports from 2024.

The Convention simplifies formalities and limits the list of documents previously submitted by cargo carriers, and establishes a list of documents required by government authorities supervising ships and cargo:

1.     General declaration

2.      Cargo declaration

3.      Ship's Stores Declaration

4.      Crew's Effects Declaration

5.      Ship's role

6.      Passenger list

7.      Manifest of dangerous goods.

Ratification of the FAL Convention by Turkmenistan and implementation of the following measures will contribute to the development of the national “single window” system at seaport control points:

1.     Creation of a “single window” system for submitting information electronically, rather than paper, related to the arrival/departure of ships in ports;

2.     Use of international terms associated with the arrival/departure of ships in ports to standardize electronic messages, develop the necessary information formats and definitions (for example, ship name, IMO number, captain's name, port of destination, container number, etc.);

3.     Processing information in the “single window” system, determining a set of information that meets the requirements of supervisory authorities in information related to the arrival/departure of ships in ports;

4.     At state maritime border control points, improving methods of state supervision of vehicles, cargo, goods and people.

In addition to the above, ratification of the Convention will contribute to the implementation of the “Concept for the Development of the Digital Economy in Turkmenistan for 2019-2025”, as well as ensuring compliance with international requirements and digitalization of control points in seaports.