By E. Geedahgar Garsuah
MONROVIA: As Liberia prepares for the 2023 International Maritime Organization (IMO) assessment scheme, Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), has concluded a day-long seminar with various stakeholders in the maritime sector.
The gathering brought together stakeholders including the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Liberia Defense Coast Guard, National Port Authority (NPA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Law Reform Commission (LRC), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The seminar was held February 24, 2023 at the LiMA Headquarters in Congo Town, outside Monrovia.
Providing an insight on the significance of the roundtable discussion, Liberia Maritime Authority Commissioner, Lenn Eugene Nagbe said, Liberia as Africa’s oldest republic is a party to numerous global maritime agreements and protocols
Commissioner Nagbe disclosed that a team comprising IMO technical staff will arrive in the country shortly with the aim of evaluating Liberia’s maritime sector.
He pointed out that the gathering of key players in the maritime sector was intended to inspire stakeholders on a coordinated method to the upcoming IMO appraisals process.
According to Commissioner Nagbe, Liberia has always played a noteworthy role in maritime world as one of the major flag, coastal, and port states.
He said, “My administration is working with our agent — Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry, (LISCR) and has decided to perform an IMO audit so that Liberian ports can get the proper certification and accreditation.”
Commissioner Nagbe further disclosed that last year (2022), Liberia took part in the audit willingly and made a passing mark, while averring that the upcoming audit will be a more detailed one, covering all facets of the maritime sector.
The audit is expected to depict Liberia’s position in terms of compliance and commitment, and as well the execution of international maritime conventions.
He added that since 1948, when Liberia propelled its maritime pogrom, the sector has grown from strength to strength.
“We have unique partnerships with several countries. And it is because of those partnerships, today, Liberia has the best shipping registry and we are also the second largest ship registry in the world.
“The reputational advantage is that when you are compliant, it brings benefits… I just mentioned to you that we are a major flag state, the second largest registry in the world,” Nagbe continued.
“If the audit finds that you are not compliant with the maritime instrument, it affects your status as a major flag state. And a lot of your constituent clients will end up leaving because nobody will want to be with a country that is not in compliance with its international obligations,” he asserted.
The Maritime boss stated further that the audit by the IMO will uncover the various gaps in Liberia’s maritime sector which will help to improve services at ports as well as environmental compliance to meet our responsibilities as a coastal state.
The IMO Audit Scheme is projected to give member states with an all-inclusive and impartial evaluation of how efficiently member countries can manage and implement IMO obligatory tools well-known in image resolution A.973 (24).
The audit results will be systematically fed back into the regulatory process at IMO to enable quantifiable advancements in the effectiveness of the international regulatory framework for shipping.
When the upcoming IMO audit is concluded, Liberia will be placed globally in a better position for the active use of its ports, Commissioner Nagbe stated.
The IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) aims to promote the consistent and effective implementation of applicable IMO instruments and to assist Member States in improving their capabilities, whilst contributing to the enhancement of global and individual Member States’ overall performance in compliance with the requirements of the instruments.
The audit scheme, using the IMO Instruments Implementation Code (III Code) as the audit standard, aims to provide an audited member state with a comprehensive and objective assessment of how effectively it administers and implements those mandatory IMO instruments that are covered by the scheme.
