The Committee on the Constitution and Justice and Citizenship (CCJ) approved on Tuesday (14), the authorization for the President of the Republic to ratify the changes in the convention of the International Hydrographic Association, previewed in a protocol signed by the members of that institution in 2005.
By means of amendments to the original text, the protocol restructures the organization and updates its vision, mission and goals. The Committee on Foreign Relations and National Defense recommended the ratification of the document, by means of the Legislative Decree Bill 1352/08, approved by the CCJ last week.

Safe navigation
The rapporteur on the matter at the committee, Mauro Benevides (PMDB-CE), stressed the main points of the protocol. Among them, there is the enhancing of its comprehension, availability, and quality of data, information, products and hydrographic services.

Benevides mainly highlights the new objective to be sought by the organization, such as the incentive to the usage of hydrograph. That tool allows establishing maps of navigable areas, and their adjacent geographic elements, such as islands, which is necessary to grant more safety in navigation.

Procedure
The bill is urgent and will be analyzed by the Committee on Transportation, before going to the House Floor. That committee has already a favorable review by the deputy Pedro Fernandes (PTB-MA).

Report - Edvaldo Fernandes
Editing - Newton Araújo
Translation - Positive Idiomas Ltda