The Maritime Safety Committee,
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Maritime Safety Committee - Resolution MSC.159(78) - Interim Guidance on Control and Compliance Measures to Enhance Maritime Security - (adopted on 21 May 2004) - The Maritime Safety Committee,

The Maritime Safety Committee,

 RECALLING that regulation XI-2/9 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (hereinafter referred to as the “Convention”), entitled Control and Compliance Measures, provides for the control of ships already in a port and for the control of ships intending to enter a port of another Contracting Government to the Convention,

 RECALLING ALSO that the Conference of Contracting Governments to the Convention which adopted Special Measures to enhance Maritime Security has also adopted, on 12 December 2002, Conference resolution 3 which in operative paragraph 1(c) invited the Organization to consider the need and, if necessary, develop further guidance on control and compliance measures on aspects other than those already addressed in part B of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code (hereinafter referred to as the “ISPS Code”),

 ACKNOWLEDGING the need to supplement the guidance, which is presently provided in paragraphs B/4.29 to B/4.46 of the ISPS Code in relation to the exercise of control and compliance measures envisaged in regulation XI-2/9 of the Convention,

 RECOGNIZING that the consistent, uniform and harmonized implementation of the control and compliance measures will contribute towards the enhancement of maritime security,

 HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendations of the Sub-Committee on Flag State Implementation at its twelfth session,

  1. ADOPTS the Interim Guidance on Control and Compliance Measures to enhance Maritime Security (hereinafter referred to as “the Interim Guidance”) set out in the Annex to this resolution;

  2. INVITES SOLAS Contracting Governments, when exercising control and compliance measures pursuant to the provisions of regulation XI-2/9 of the Convention to apply the aforementioned Interim Guidance;

  3. URGES SOLAS Contracting Governments and the industry to submit to the Committee information, observations, comments and recommendations based on the practical experience to be gained through the application of the Interim Guidance;

  4. AGREES to review and revise as necessary, at an appropriate time, the Interim Guidance in the light of the practical experience to be gained through its application.


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