Representatives of the Port State Control Committee, the governing body under the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Asia-Pacific Region (Tokyo MOU), met in Tokyo, Japan, for the Twenty-Fourth session from 28 to 31 October 2013. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Abdul Samad Bin Shaik Osman, Principal Assistant Director, Maritime Industry Control Division, Marine Department Peninsular Malaysia. Mr. Toshiya Morishige, Director General, Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, made a welcome speech and open the meeting officially. Mr. Morishige reiterated the important role performed by the Tokyo MOU on port State control in the Asia-Pacific region. Then he commended the great progress and achievements by the Tokyo MOU during the two decades. Lastly, he expressed the strong determination of its Authority to devote to PSC activities of and to provide the full cooperation and continuous
contribution to the Tokyo MOU.
Year 2013 is the 20th anniversary of the successful conclusion of the Tokyo MOU. As
celebration of this event, a Tokyo 20th Anniversary Forum was organized. Mr. Ryuji Masuno,
Vice-Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan made an opening address. Mr. Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General of IMO was invited to give a key note speech at the forum. Mr. Mitsutoyo Okada, Secretary, Tokyo MOU Secretariat, also made a key note presentation. Furthermore, Mr. Mick Kinley of Australia, representing the member Authorities, Mr. Richard Schiferli of the Paris MOU Secretariat, representing observers and Mr. Takuya Yoneya of Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, representing the industry made congratulation speeches. In addition to the members, co-operating members and observers of the Tokyo MOU, representatives from the International Association of Classification societies (IACS), Association of Asian Classification Societies (ACS), INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Shipping Federation (ICS/ISF), Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF), Japan Shipowners Association (JSA) participated in the forum. During the forum, a discussion session was carried out for exchanging views with the industry on a Japanese initiative on Ballast Water Sampling and Analysis for Trial Use and other issues of common interests.
The Tokyo MOU was concluded in December 1993 and came into operation in April 1994.
At present, the Tokyo MOU consists of 18 member Authorities: Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Fiji, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, Vanuatu and Vietnam. The Republic of the Marshall Islands and Peru adhere to the Tokyo MOU as co-operating member Authorities. The Authorities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Macao (China), the Solomon Islands, the United States Coast Guard, the International Maritime Organization, the International Labour Organization and the Secretariats of the Paris, the Indian Ocean and the Black Sea Memoranda of Understanding on Port State Control and the Viña del Mar Agreement are associated with the Tokyo MOU as observers. This twenty-fourth meeting of the Port State Control Committee was attended by the member Authorities of Australia, Chile, China, Fiji, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, co-operating member Authorities of the Marshall Islands and Peru; and observers of Macao (China), the United States Coast Guard, the Black Sea MOU, the Indian Ocean MOU, the Paris MOU and the Viña del Mar Agreement. The member Authority of Vanuatu and observers of the DPR Korea, the Solomon Islands, ILO and IMO were unable to attend.
The Committee meeting in Tokyo was preceded by the seventh meeting of the Technical
Working Group (TWG) from 25 to 26 October 2013. The TWG meeting discussed matters
relating to PSC technical procedures and guidelines, the Concentrated Inspection Campaigns;
information system and information exchange, evaluation of work done by intersessional
technical groups and technical co-operation activities.
After three years’ participation in the Tokyo MOU as a Co-operating Member Authority, the
Marshall Islands applied for full membership of the Tokyo MOU. The Committee considered
the application by the Marshall Islands and the report of a fact finding mission, which confirmed full compliance with the qualitative membership criteria by the Marshall Islands. In accordance with provision of the Memorandum, the Committee agreed unanimously to accept the Marshall Islands as the 19th member Authority.
The Committee adopted amendments to the Memorandum, which include indication of
membership of the Marshall Islands taking effect on 28 October 2013; inclusion of Protocol of 1992 to amend the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, 1969 (CLC PROT 1992) as a relevant instrument and provisions relating to the new inspection regime (NIR) effective from 1 January 2014.
The Committee approved the amendments to the guidelines for the responsibility assessment of RO and adopted new PSC guidelines on Electronic Chart Display and Information System
(ECDIS). The Committee discussed the situation of considerable increase of operation of
cruise ships in the region in the recent years. The Committee agreed to consider development
of PSC guidelines for inspection of cruise ships.
The Committee considered and agreed the changes to policy on concentrated inspection
campaigns (CICs). The Committee approved the arrangements for the CIC on STCW Hours of Rest that will be carried out from 1 September to 30 November 2014 with the Paris MOU
jointly. The Committee decided to conduct a joint CIC with the Paris MOU on Crew
Familiarization and Enclosed Space Entry in 2015 and agreed in principle for a joint CIC on
MLC with the Paris MOU in 2016.
The twenty-fifth meeting of the Port State Control Committee will be held in New Zealand in
November 2014.