The ITU Radiocommunication Assembly considering a) that the requirements for the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) entered into force on 1 February 1992 in accordance with the 1988 Amendments to the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) concerning radiocommunications for the GMDSS; b) that multiple mobile-satellite systems designed for operation in the 1 530-1 544 MHz and 1 626.5-1 645.5 MHz bands are currently being developed and introduced; c) that the 1 530-1 544 MHz and 1 626.5-1 645.5 MHz bands, used for GMDSS distress and safety communications (see Table 15-2 of Appendix 15 to the Radio Regulations), are also available for other services; d) that currently the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recognized only one provider of mobile-satellite communications (Inmarsat) for the GMDSS in these bands; e) that if multiple mobile-satellite systems operate in these bands, not all may elect to participate in the GMDSS; f) that, as a major element of the GMDSS, the satellite system provides for priority processing of distress alerts from ship earth stations to the coast earth stations; g) that coast earth stations provide for expeditious handling and delivery of distress messages to their associated rescue coordination centres; h) that, in these frequency bands, distress and safety receives the highest order of priority of communications in the maritime mobile-satellite service; j) that, in these frequency bands, any emission causing harmful interference to maritime mobile-satellite distress and safety communications is prohibited; k) that satellite systems participating in the GMDSS may provide a number of telecommunication services not associated with the GMDSS; l) that use of these bands for distress and safety purposes in the maritime mobile-satellite service is an important part of the GMDSS; m) that implementation of these telecommunication services under the GMDSS has been ongoing for some time.