Answer
MOUs aim to encourage harmonization and coordination of PSC activities and the development of practical recommendations which can be forwarded to IMO for further examination by the Organization's relevant Committees and Sub-Committees.
Nine regional agreements on port State control PSC - Memoranda of Understanding or MoUs - have been signed:
1.Europe and the north Atlantic (Paris MOU)
2.Asia and the Pacific (Tokyo MOU)
3.Latin America (Acuerdo de Viña del Mar)
4.Caribbean (Caribbean MOU)
5.West and Central Africa (Abuja MOU)
6.the Black Sea region (Black Sea MOU)
7.the Mediterranean (Mediterranean MOU)
8.the Indian Ocean (Indian Ocean MOU)
9.Riyadh MOU.
10.The United States Coast Guard maintain the tenth PSC regime.
Why Were MOUs Formed?Before MOUs were established, individual countries conducted isolated ship inspections. This left loopholes that allowed substandard ships to move from one port to another without detection, or subjected compliant ships to unnecessary, repetitive delays.
The regional MOU structure was created to address these issues:
Eliminate Substandard Ships: Regional data sharing ensures that a ship flagged or targeted for bad performance in one port is immediately flagged to all member ports in that region.
Avoid Unnecessary Delays & Duplicate Inspections: By sharing inspection reports electronically, member countries ensure a ship inspected and cleared in Port A isn't needlessly re-inspected in nearby Port B days later.
Target High-Risk Vessels: MOUs use a shared Ship Risk Profile (SRP) database to target ships with poor safety records, bad flag state performance, or past detentions, while allowing compliant ships to trade smoothly.
Harmonize Standards: MOUs ensure that Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) across different countries in the region follow identical guidelines, checklist criteria, and detention frameworks (IMO Resolution A.1206(34)).
Prevent Port Shopping: Substandard ship operators cannot "port-shop" for ports with relaxed enforcement within a region, as all ports enforce the same agreed baseline safety rules.