Procedures for Port State Control, 2011: 2012 Edition

Port state control (PSC) involves the inspection of foreign ships in national port areas to verify that the condition and operation of a ship and its equipment comply with the requirements of international regulations. While IMO has always acknowledged that enforcement of global maritime standards is the responsibility of flag states, the organization nevertheless recognizes that exercising the right to carry out PSC makes an important contribution to ensuring those standards are implemented consistently on ships of different nationalities.