Port States: The inspection in ports depends on whether a Certificate of Maritime Compliance is present (and thus a flag is flown of a country which has ratified the convention). If the Certificate is present, compliance is to be assumed in principle, and further investigations only take place if the certificate is not in order or there are indications of non-compliance. For ships that don't have the certificate, inspections are much more detailed and should ensure -according to a "no more favorable treatment principle"[5] that the ship has complied with the provisions of the convention. The convention is thus -indirectly- also valid for ships of non-member countries if they plan to call to ports of a member state.