A/Res.682(17)
Regional co-operation in the control of ships and discharges
THE ASSEMBLY,
RECALLING Article 15(j) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Assembly in relation to regulations and guidelines concerning maritime safety and the prevention and control of marine pollution from ships,
RECALLING FURTHER the provisions of regulation 19 of chapter 1 of the International Convention for the Safety of life at Sea, 1974, (SOLAS 1974), article 21 of the International Convention on load lines, 1966 (ll 1966), article X and chapter I, regulation 4 of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW1978), and resolutions A.466(XII) and A.597(15) on procedures for the control of ships,
RECALLING ALSO the provisions of article 5 and other relevant articles of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL 73/78) and resolutions A.542(13) and MEPC.26(23) on procedures for the control of ships and discharges under annex I and annex II of MARPOL 73/78, respectively,
REAFFIRMING its desire to ensure that ships comply at all times with maritime safety and marine
pollution prevention standards prescribed by relevant conventions and the strong correlation which
exists between maritime safety and prevention of accidental pollution,
REITERATING that adequate implementation and effective enforcement of maritime safety and marine pollution prevention standards laid down in relevant conventions, is considered primarily as the
responsibility of the flag State,
ACKNOWLEDGING that in some cases it may he difficult for flag States to exercise full and continuous control over some ships entitled to fly their flag, for instance ships which do not regularly call at flag States' national ports,
RECOGNIZING the important contribution to maritime safety and pollution prevention made through
regional co-operation under the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (the Paris
Memorandum) in preventing, without discrimination as to flag, the operation of substandard ships,
NOTING with appreciation that a number of maritime nations elsewhere in the world are exercising
port State control in accordance with the provisions of the aforesaid Conventions and resolutions,
BEING CONVINCED that regional co-operation in the application of port State control measures in all parts of the world would enhance international standards and could further contribute to preventing
the operation of substandard ships, thus making a significant contribution to maritime safety and
pollution prevention,
- INVITES Governments to consider concluding regional agreements on the application of port
State control measures in co-operation with the Organization and to provide information on any
such regional agreements concluded and the action taken to implement their provisions;
- INVITES the Secretary-General to secure funds for the organization of regional seminars on
matters related to port State control of ships and discharges under SOLAS 1974, LL 1966, STCW 1978 and MARPOL 73/78;
- INVITES the authorities participating in the Paris Memorandum and any other countries
participating in port State control to assist, whenever possible, in the conclusion of regional
agreements elsewhere in the world and to study matters of interregional co-operation with a view to compatibility of information systems and exchange of port State control information;
- REQUESTS the Maritime Safety Committee and the Marine Environment Protection Committee to consider any further action which may be taken to assist Member Governments in their efforts relating to port State control of ships and discharges and periodically to review such action.