2.32 Member Governments, through the conduct of PSC
inspections at their ports and discussions at IMO, realized
that more effective PSC could be conducted by signing
regional agreements. To this end, the following five regional
PSC agreements have been signed and currently in operation:
.1 the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port
State Control (Paris MOU), adopted in Paris on 1 July
1982;
.2 the Acuerdo de Vina del Mar (Vifia del Mar or
Latin-America Agreement), signed in Vina del Mar (Chile)
on 5 November 1992;
. 3 the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State
Control in the Asia-Pacific Region (Tokyo MOU), signed in
Tokyo on 1 December 1993;
.4 the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State
Control in the Caribbean Region (Caribbean MOU), signed
in Barbados on 9 February 1996; and
. 5 the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State
Control in the Mediterranean Reg on (Mediterranean MOU),
signed in Malta on 11 July 1997.
2.33 With active assistance from IMO, regional MOUs for
the rest of the world, such as the Indian Ocean region, the
West and Central African region and the Persian Gulf region
are being prepared for consideration and adoption. When these
regional MOUs are signed, there will be a complete network of
regional MOUs covering every region of the world, thus
ensuring more effective enforcement of international
conventions adopted by IMO.
2.34 It is widely recognized that the IMO resolution on
PSC and the regional MOUs have made significant contributions
to the enhancement of maritime safety and prevention of
marine pollution from ships. In accordance with a database
set up by the IMO Secretariat, 5,554 port State reports on
ship detentions were received before 27 March 1998 and 2,880
flag State comments were received before 24 April 1998 (IMO
document: FSI 6/5).
This exercise of interaction between port States and flag
States and the consideration of such reports and comments at
IMO meetings have become an effective tool to promote the
implementation of IMO conventions.
Promotion of wider ratification and effective implementation
of IMO conventions
2.35 It has been one of IMO's main objectives to promote
the widest possible ratification and more effective
implementation of the conventions and protocols relating to
maritime safety and prevention of marine pollution. As a
result of IMO's consistent efforts, 31 out of 39 treaty
instruments, for which IMO is responsible, are in force.
