ISPS Code

The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code is a comprehensive set of measures designed to enhance the security of ships and port facilities, developed in response to the perceived threats to ships and port facilities in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The ISPS Code is given force through Chapter XI-2 of SOLAS. The Code has two parts, one mandatory and one recommended. In essence, the Code takes the approach that ensuring the security of ships and port facilities is a risk management activity and that, to determine what security measures are appropriate, an assessment of the risks must be made in each particular case. The purpose of the Code is to provide a standardised, consistent framework for evaluating risk, enabling governments to offset changes in threat with changes in vulnerability for ships and port facilities through determination and implementation of appropriate security levels and corresponding security measures.