Generic Maritime Single Window
The costs of development and implementation was an important parameter discussed in the preparatory work in the project planning. It was decided to establish a generic open source single window solution. The project have seeked to utilize existing development tools and databases based upon Open-source software to keep costs low and to facilitate collaboration and volunteerism. The generic MSW is focused on facilitating the clearance of ships, passengers and crew members, and on connecting the cargo-related information with the Custom’s Single Window on cargo clearance already in place, using the information provided in the IMO FAL Forms.
A generic MSW, such as the one developed in this project; consist of software that will perform many different tasks within the realm of ship reporting and information exchange. The generic System is not customized to any particular country, application or process, but will provide basic services to support the general acknowledged processes within any country that seeks to meet the obligations of the FAL Convention. These services typically mean registering port calls and facilitating the clearance of ships, passengers and crew members. Thus the generic MSW represents a facility that allows submission of standardized information covered by the FAL Convention to a single entry point.
The use of publicly available Open Source software has been essential during the development of the generic MSW. In this context, the MSW software is, as far as possible, developed using software in which source code is released under the Open Source that comply with the Open Source Definition. This essentially grants any users the rights to study, change, and distribute the software to anyone, for any purpose. Also, with appropriate access, anyone can modify and enhance the code in the current project, or in the future as the need arise.
In order to facilitate the implementation of the amendments to the Annex of the FAL Convention adopted by FAL 40, and to encourage the establishment of MSW systems globally, Norway has decided to make available the generic source code, for the MSW system established in collaboration with Antigua and Barbuda available on the web-based hosting service GitHub. IMO Member States may consider to use the generic source code for, the development of a national MSW system.
The MSW system can be accessed on the demo site (password protected)
