The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has updated data-exchange agreements with the Black Sea and Caribbean Port State Control regimes as part of efforts to strengthen the sharing of ship inspection information.
The agreements were signed at IMO headquarters in London on 21 July and announced by the organisation on 4 August.
Signatories included IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, Black Sea Memorandum of Understanding Secretariat Secretary Onur Turhan and Caribbean MoU Secretariat Secretary General Jodi Munn Barrow.
The updated arrangements expand the exchange of Port State Control inspection information and support further development of the Port State Control module within IMO’s Global Integrated Shipping Information System, known as GISIS.
Port State Control involves inspections of foreign ships when they call at national ports. The inspections are used to verify that ships and their equipment meet international requirements and that vessels are manned and operated in line with applicable safety, security and environmental rules.
IMO said it has now completed updated data-exchange agreements with eight regional Port State Control regimes. Agreements were previously signed with the Abuja, Indian Ocean, Tokyo, Mediterranean, Paris and Riyadh MoUs.
Discussions are continuing with the Viña del Mar Agreement, which covers Latin America, and the United States Coast Guard.
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The latest agreements also support IMO’s development of a Port State Control Overarching Database. The project is intended to enable more comprehensive and consistent sharing of inspection data between regional regimes.
According to IMO, the planned database is designed to facilitate near real-time information exchange, improve risk-based inspection planning and support the implementation of IMO instruments.
The wider exchange of validated inspection information is also intended to improve transparency and data integrity while reducing duplication in reporting by Member States.
There are nine regional Port State Control agreements operating internationally, covering Europe and the North Atlantic, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean, West and Central Africa, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and the Riyadh region. The United States Coast Guard operates a separate Port State Control regime.
IMO said the updated arrangements with the Black Sea and Caribbean regimes will support greater consistency between inspection systems and improve coordination between regional authorities.
The organisation also expects wider data sharing to strengthen risk-based inspection planning and support monitoring of how Member States implement international maritime requirements.
The agreements bring the Black Sea and Caribbean regimes into IMO’s updated data-exchange framework while work continues towards broader international participation.
