|
1.Outline
Port State control (PSC) is a system of harmonized inspection procedures
designed to target
substandard ships with the main objective being their eventual elimination.
Port States are entitled to control foreign ships visiting their own ports to
ensure that any deficiencies found are rectified before they are allowed to
sail.
It is well known that the responsibility for ensuring that ships comply with
the provisions of the
relevant instruments rests upon the owners, masters, recognized organization
and the flag State administrations.
However, the primary responsibility to safeguard against substandard ships lies
on with the flag
States.
Regrettably, some flag States fail to fulfill their commitments contained in
agreed international legal instruments and subsequently some ships are sailing
in an unsafe condition, threatening the lives as well as the marine
environment. It is when flag states fail to meet their commitments that port
State comes into play.
For the effective understanding of PSC activities, maritime Authorities have
joined the regional
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as a member. The Paris MOU is the model upon
which
other regions of the world base their agreements on PSC. Starting with the
Paris MOU, PSC
became more organized and widespread and now there are various Memorandum of
Understanding on Port States control covering almost every part of the world.
At present, there are eight regional agreements on PSC with the total of 123
members states.
In recent years, the importance of PSC has been widely recognized by the
shipping industry and there has been important movement in various regions
toward establishing a harmonized method
for the effective implementation of the control provisions. The followings are
the Memorandum of
Understanding on PSC in the world to this date.
Paris MOU (Europe and North Atlantic region) |
Tokyo MOU (Aisa-Pacific region) |
|
Acuerdo de Vina del Mar (Latin American region) |
Caribbean MOU (Caribbean region) |
|
Mediterranean MOU (Mediterrranean region) |
Indian Ocean MOU (Indian Ocean region) |
|
Abuja MOU (West and Central African region) |
Black Sea MOU (Black Sea region) |
2.PSC at work
It is known that the responsibility for ensuring that ships comply with the
provisions of the relevant instruments rests upon the owners, masters and the
flag States. Some flag States fail to fulfill their commitments contained in
agreed international legal instruments and subsequently some ships
are sailing in an unsafe condition, threatening the lives as well as the marine
environment.
Port State control is a system of harmonized inspection procedures designed to
target sub-standards ships with the main objective being their eventual
elimination.
3.Co-operation between Flag state and Port State
Having recognized that the main responsibility lies with the flag State on the
one hand and the
inability for a variety of reasons of some of flag States to meet, entirely,
their obligations under the conventions resulting in the existence of
substandard ships it is imperative to develop close
co-operation between flag States and port States.
It is a fact that the most important largest Registries have become so due to
the attraction of ships whose beneficial ownership belongs to traditional
maritime countries which again, for a variety of reasons have chosen a
particular port of regulation as oppose to others. It is in the best interest
of all to develop an effective flag State/port State interfaces for the sake of
safe shipping.
|