International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities is changing its status to that of an international organisation

The Government issued a Decree on the Convention on the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation on 4 July 2024. The Decree and the Convention will enter into force on 22 August 2024.

The International Association of Lighthouse Authorities, IALA, is changing its status into that of an official international organisation and its name into International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation.

At its General Assembly in 2014, IALA decided that its status be changed into that of an official international organisation. IALA stated that changing its status from a French association governed by private law to an international organisation would reinforce the weight of its recommendations. For the change of status to take place, a new convention has to be applied. Finland adopted the Convention on 20 December 2022.

The aim of the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation is to improve transport safety and to harmonise the marine aids to navigation. It publishes recommendations, instructions and handbooks on navigational aids. In Finland, IALA’s instructions have been applied to the marking of waterways, for example.

The Convention will enter into force on the ninetieth day after thirty states have ratified, accepted or approved it. The thirtieth state became bound by the Convention on 24 May 2024.

IALA was founded in 1957 and Finland joined in 1959. Becoming a member means that Finland has the opportunity to influence the preparation of the recommendations and guidelines. The main representative of Finland is the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.

What’s next?

The new Decree will enter into force on 22 August 2024. The Decree will enter into force at the same time as the international Convention, which is when the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities will change into International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation.

Inquiries:

Suvi Lahtikankare, Senior Specialist, Legal Affairs, tel. +358 29 534 2105, [email protected]