Riyadh MoU

Port control, implemented by individual states, in shipping today is the most effective mechanism for regulating relations between shipowners and ships in order to ensure compliance with international agreements with standards in the field of maritime safety, as well as protecting the marine environment from pollution.

Overview of the Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding

In June 2004, at a meeting in Riyadh, 6 states, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, signed an agreement to control the port state in the Persian Gulf, known as the Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding.

The Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is an international regulatory act aimed at ensuring safe, reliable and efficient navigation in maritime jurisdictions in the Persian Gulf region. This international document is one of several territorial treaties on port control of ships that were between the governing and control bodies of individual countries within the framework of the current rules established by the International Maritime Organization. The PSC regulates the enforcement of ship control under the flags of other states for each specific national port. Its task is to provide a tool with which it is possible to inspect the vessel and its equipment for compliance with the established requirements of international legislation in the field of shipping. It is also necessary to be able to verify that a particular vessel is manned and operated according to convention standards.

The Memorandum of Understanding in Riyadh obliges the maritime authorities of six Gulf states (Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia) to introduce a unified system of port state control measures and intensify cooperation and exchange of information on issues related to port state control.

A memorandum of understanding in Riyadh called for a secretariat and information centre in Oman. The Secretariat also hosted the Information Centre, which allows the recording and exchange of court data.

The management body is represented by the following units: Board, State Port Control Committee, Secretariat, Secretariat of Memorandum of Understanding in Riyadh, Information Centre, State Port Control Committee, PSC for Riyadh MoU.

The executive body of the Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding is the State Port Control Committee. It includes representatives of 6 maritime authorities and participants in the Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding: Kingdom of Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Sultanate of Oman and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The State Port Control Committee meets once a year, or more frequently if necessary.

MOV documents cause the absence of discrimination in the control of the implementation of the activities of ships of various flags, and also formulate attitudes towards ships.

The essence of the memorandum of understanding in Riyadh

The maritime authorities of the Member States recognized the need to improve safety at sea and the protection of the marine environment, as well as the importance of improving living and working conditions on board ships.

Progress has been made in these areas, in particular by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The IMO resolution A.682 (17) on regional cooperation in the field of ship control and discharges was considered.

It was decided to develop the provisions of the memorandum in such a way that they fully comply and in practice reflect the essence of the Kuwait Convention, which was adopted back in the late 70s of the last century. Its provisions are based on the creation of additional obligations to the governments of countries aimed at ensuring the safety of the seas and oceans, and, therefore, on the development of certain measures to combat pollution, prevent them and reduce the number of such cases.

The full responsibility for the most effective implementation and implementation of these provisions described in the regulations at the international level falls on the Government of the State under whose flag the ship has the right to sail. It is recognized that in order to reduce the percentage of use of low-quality ships, serious actions on the part of ports are required, as well as the need to develop a system to eliminate competition between ports and ships flying the flags of various states.

Having come to a certain level of mutual understanding, the participants in the memorandum, in order to harmonize and improve the law of the sea and relations in its field, came to a consensus on obligations, relevant tools, verification procedures, correction and detention of ships.

A Memorandum of Understanding information center was established in Riyadh to comply with the provisions of the memorandum. The Riyadh Information System (RiyadhSIS) has been established to exchange information on port state inspections in order to be able to provide authorities with information on ship inspections at other regional ports to assist them in selecting foreign-flagged vessels for inspection and in exercising port state control over selected vessels. In addition, the system makes it possible to provide effective means of exchanging information on the control of the port state in the region in accordance with international law of the sea.

The role of the Memoranda of Understanding on Ship Control by Port States is quite significant. You can study the nuances of the signed regulatory act in more detail on the Riyadh MoU website.

P.O.Box 1887 Postal Code 114, Hayy Al Mina, Sultanate of Oman

0096824788992

dinfo@riyadhmou.org