Representatives of the Port State Control Committee, the governing body under the emorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Asia-Pacific Region (Tokyo MOU), met from 17 to 20 November 2008 in Bali, Indonesia, for its eighteenth session.
The meeting was chaired by Dr. Vitaly Klyuev, Deputy Director of the Department of State Policy for Maritime and River Transport, Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. A welcome speech was delivered by Mr. Djoni A. Algamar, Director of Sea and Coast Guard, Directorate General of Sea
Transportation, on behalf of the Director-General of Sea Transportation of Indoneisa. The eighteenth meeting of the Port State Control Committee in Bali was attended by the member Authorities of Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, and observers of DPR Korea, 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 Authorities of Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Vanuatu, and observers of Solomon Islands, ILO and IMO were unable to attend.
The Committee adopted an amendment to the Memorandum for inclusion of the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships (AFS 2001) as one of the relevant instruments. The amendment takes effect on 18 November 2008. The Committee also approved the interim guidelines for inspection of anti-fouling system on ships. The Committee adopted another amendment to the Memorandum for adjustment of the regional
targeting inspection rate from 75% to 80%. This amendment is expected to come into effect in July 2009.
The Committee considered the results of the joint concentrated inspection campaign (CIC) on the ISM Code which was conducted from September to November last year. Furthermore, the Committee considered and approved in principle the questionnaire and guidance notes for the joint CIC with the Paris MOU on lifeboats in 2009. The Committee decided to carry out the CIC on lifeboats from 1 September to 30 November 2009. The Committee agreed to continue to co-ordinate with the Paris MOU for future joint CICs.
The Committee noted the progress made by the joint working group of the Tokyo and the Paris Memoranda for establishment of commonly agreed approach for improvement and harmonization on PSC codification.
In order to pursue clearer aims to be achieved and directions of development of the Memorandum in middle and long term, the Committee decided to develop the MOU strategic plan. The development of the strategic plan will enable the Tokyo MOU to actively react, in a better position, to internal and external challenges and to maintain sustainable development and improvement in the years to come.
Prior to the Committee meeting, the first meeting of Technical Working Group (TWG) was held on 14 November 2008. The TWG meeting discussed matters relating to PSC technical procedures and guidelines; questionnaire and related guidance for CICs; information system and information exchange and evaluation of work done by intersessional technical groups.
The nineteenth meeting of the Port State Control Committee will be held in Papua New Guinea in August 2009.
