联合国国际海事组织（IMO）已经批准了具有全球约束力的规定，旨在加强极地海域的航行安全。这就意味着，尤其是对客轮来说，增加了额外的要求。

在进行了长达几年的紧张商讨之后，IMO海安会（MSC）20日批准了关于北极海域航行安全的一整套全新规定。这样，今天IMO向努力使《极地水域船舶航行安全规则》（简称《极地规则》）具有全球约束力这一目标迈出了关键性的一步。

《极地规则》涵盖了极地区域船舶航行的所有方面，包括船舶设计和建造，船员培训和航海，提高协调搜救行动能力。《极地规则》将被应用于船舶重量超过500总吨的所有客轮和货轮。

“丹麦积极支持将《极地规则》置于IMO议程表的首位，因此，我很高兴现在我们可以通过实施《极地规则》，以加强船舶在北极和南极海域航行安全。丹麦特别注重和努力提高船舶特别是邮轮在格林兰岛海域的航行安全。新一套的具有全球约束力的规定将向我们提供在冰冻海域航行的一系列重要的措施，包括救生设备要求，船员培训。这是与丹麦海事（DMA）局正在致力工作的格林兰岛海域邮轮航行国家规定相符合的”，丹麦海事局副局长Francis Zachariae说。

IMO海事安全委员会（MSC）预计将于2014年秋季采用这些新规定。IMO海洋环境保护委员会（MEPC）预计也将在2014年秋季采用有关极地海域的环境保护规定。

Milestone for enhanced safety in Arctic regions

Enhancing safety of navigation in polar areas

United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) has just approved global binding regulations intending to enhance safety of navigation in polar areas. This means, inter alia, new requirements for passenger ships.

Following several years of intense negotiations, the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) has today approved a new set of regulations on navigation in Arctic waters. Thus, the IMO has today taken a decisive step towards making the so-called Polar Code internationally binding.

The entire palette of navigation in polar areas is covered by the Polar Code - from ship design and construction, over crew training and navigation to improved coordination of search and rescue operations. The Polar Code will apply to passenger ships and cargo ships with a gross tonnage of more than 500.

"Denmark has been active in placing the Polar Code on the IMO agenda. Therefore, I am extremely pleased that - with the Polar Code - we will now enhance the safety of ships navigating Arctic and Antarctic waters. Denmark has especially been striving to enhance the safety of especially cruise ships navigating Greenland waters. The new internationally binding regulations will also introduce a number of important measures to be taken when navigating icy waters, such as requirements for life-saving appliances and training of the crew. This is in line with the national regulations on cruise ships around Greenland that the Danish Maritime Authority is working on", says Deputy Director-General of the Danish Maritime Authority Francis Zachariae.

The IMO Maritime Safety Committee is expected to adopt the new regulations in the autumn of 2014. The environmental provisions in relation to navigation in polar areas will also be adopted by the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in the autumn of 2014.