The World Assembly (WA),
Noting its long-standing interest in promoting free trade via resolutions that provide necessary regulations for various forms of transport, such as railways, seafaring and aircraft;
Frustrated that the target resolution, GAR 34 International Transport Safety, permits domestic transport not to comply with the regulations of the International Transport Safety Committee (ITSC, clause 6a), thereby allowing domestic carriers to adopt far more relaxed standards than those of the ITSC;
Flummoxed that the ITSC has been tasked with creating detailed regulations for shipping, aviation and railways in terms of safety, communications, accident investigation, et cetera, but that they concern only international traffic, leaving domestic traffic poorly unregulated by international law;
Anxious that, as a result of the domestic exemption:
- WA states face severe difficulties when domestic transport of significantly lower standards shares the same space as international transport, whether over air traffic coordination in the same airspace, rail tracks shared by domestic and international rail engines, or international shipping sharing seas and rivers with domestic vessels; and
- There is significant ambiguity as to the responsibility for investigating accidents involving multiple member states, such as when a domestic ship collides with an international ship in domestic waters, or when an international train collides with a domestic train on a WA state’s rail tracks;
Observing that there is a need for WA states to retain as much autonomy as practicable to tailor regulations for their own circumstances and needs, but that this must be balanced with the need for better coordination between member states, especially in this age of frequent international travel;
Looking forward to replacements for the target resolution that address these flaws, while preserving the good work of the target in establishing international regulations;
Hereby repeals the target resolution, "International Transport Safety".
