T O K Y O M O U S E C R E TA R I AT
Ascend Shimbashi 8F
6-19-19, Shimbashi, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-0004
Japan

Tel: +81-3-3433-0621
Fax: +81-3-3433-0624
E-mail: secretariat@tokyo-mou.org
Web site: www.tokyo-mou.org

PRESS RELEASETOKYO MOU ISSUING GUIDANCE FOR DEALING WITH
IMPACT OF THE OUTBREAK OF THE COVID-19
Recognizing that, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, the industry is facing
challenges in meeting statutory requirements stipulated in Maritime Labour
Convention 2006 (MLC 2006) and relevant IMO conventions, member Authorities ofthe Tokyo MOU have agreed to adopt guidance for dealing with the circumstances(such as extending periods of service onboard of seafarers, delaying periods forsurveys, inspections and audits, etc.) in a pragmatic and harmonized approach.
The guidance is prepared based on the general principle that requests/issues would
be considered on a case-by-case basis by the relevant port State Authority. In
accordance with the guidance, the port State Authority should request the operator
concerned to confirm that flag State and/or RO, relevant seafarers organizations (ifappropriate) have been involved in the process. For consideration of the request by
the port State Authority, operators/companies concerned should provide a plan orprocess containing equivalent solutions to address the COVID-19 situation and lettersof dispensation or exemption by the flag State or RO, under which the period of gracefor delaying surveys, inspections or audits should be no more than three months, inaccordance with the relevant regulations of conventions.
The guidance will be reviewed upon any future initiatives IMO/ILO or developments ofthe situation.

12 March 2020

Contact

Tokyo MOU Secretariat
Ascend Shimbashi 8F
6-19-19, Shimbashi
Minato-ku, TokyoJapan 105-0004
Telephone: +81-3-3433 0621
Facsimile: +81-3-3433 0624
E-mail: secretariat@tokyo-mou.org
Web-site: www.tokyo-mou.org

Notes to editors:* The Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Asia-Pacific Region,
known as the Tokyo MOU, was signed among eighteen maritime Authorities in the region
on 1 December 1993 and came into operation on 1 April 1994. At present, Tokyo MOU
consists of 21 member Authorities: Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Fiji, Hong Kong(China), Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, New Zealand,Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore,Thailand, Vanuatu and Viet Nam. Mexico adheres to the Tokyo MOU as a co-operating
member Authority. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Macao (China), Samoa,Solomon Islands, Tonga, the United States Coast Guard, the International Maritime
Organization, the International Labour Organization and the Secretariats of the Paris, theIndian Ocean, the Black Sea, the Riyadh, the Caribbean and the Abuja Memoranda ofUnderstanding on Port State Control and the Viña del Mar Agreement are associated withthe Tokyo MOU as observers.
The Secretariat of the Memorandum is located in Tokyo, Japan. The PSC databasesystem, the Asia-Pacific Computerized Information System (APCIS), was established. The
APCIS center is located in Moscow, under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport of theRussian Federation.
Port State Control (PSC) is a check on visiting foreign ships to verify their compliance withinternational rules on safety, security, marine environment protection and seafarers livingand working conditions. It is a means of enforcing compliance in cases where the ownerand flag State have failed in their responsibility to implement or ensure compliance. The
port State can require defects to be put right, and detain the ship for this purpose if
necessary. It is therefore also a port State’s defense against visiting substandard shippingand PSC is the second defense for ensuring safety, security, marine environment
protection and seafarers living and working conditions.