Liberian Registry Undertakes Successful IMO Audit

Published Mar 15, 2007 12:01 AM by The Maritime Executive

THE Liberian Registry has successfully undergone a voluntary audit under the International Maritime Organisation’s recently adopted Member State Audit Scheme. Liberia, the largest flag to have thus far carried out the audit, has emerged without a single non-conformity recorded against the operation of the registry.

The IMO Audit Scheme is intended to provide member states with a comprehensive and objective assessment of how effectively they administer and implement the mandatory instruments of the IMO. And it is intended that the results be systematically fed back into the regulatory process at IMO to help make measurable improvements in the effectiveness of the international regulatory framework of shipping.

Scott Bergeron, Chief Operating Officer of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “We are very enthusiastic about the audit process and quite satisfied with the manner in which the entire audit programme was conducted. Consistent with the determinations of other independent measures such as Port State Control records and the Flag State Performance Guidelines issued by the Round Table of international shipping associations, the positive outcome of the IMO audit confirms that the Liberian registry is one of the leading ship registries in the world.

“The entire audit process was an extremely valuable exercise. The IMO team which audited the Liberian Registry included auditors from Denmark, Canada, and Germany, in addition to an observer from the US Coast Guard. The audit was conducted in a spirit of enthusiastic co-operation between the registry staff and the experienced IMO auditors throughout the preparation, interviews, discussions, demonstrations and reviews which the scheme calls for.

“We were very impressed with the professionalism and the broad and relevant experience of the audit team. IMO member states, the maritime industry and the general public can be assured that the audit scheme is an effective mechanism in assessing the maritime administration’s regulatory framework, implementation and enforcement functions.”

Having confirmed that Liberia had come through the audit with zero non-conformities, the IMO team made three observations, summarised as:

• To make the promulgation of changes and amendments to IMO instruments more efficient;

• To better document the oversight activities of Recognized Organisations; and

• To document to a higher degree of detail the training and individual capabilities of the hundreds of surveyors who make up Liberia’s worldwide network of nautical inspectors, auditors and casualty investigators.

Scott Bergeron says, “While the audit scheme does not require disclosure of the audit results, we believe that transparency plays an important role in the process and have therefore decided to provide the above findings to the public. We consider these observations to be correct, constructive and beneficial.

“With respect to the observations, we feel that achieving a more efficient promulgation of changes and amendments to IMO instruments is a challenge for the entire industry. And, while Liberia has a very robust and dynamic programme for overseeing the classification societies to which we have delegated certain actions, we agree that the programme’s formal documentation could be improved. Finally, we recognise that improved and more detailed documentation of the capabilities and qualifications of our surveyors will improve our ability to respond to the needs of the registry’s shipowners and operators.

“We will incorporate the audit team’s suggestion into the operational framework of the registry, in full confidence that doing so will improve still further the effectiveness and efficiency of the Liberian Registry’s administration.”

The flag state audit of Liberia will be complete following the satisfactory outcome of a visit by a member of the audit team to the offices of the Bureau of Maritime Affairs in Liberia, expected later this month.

Bergeron says, “The Liberian registry is a committed supporter of the IMO and the efficient implementation of internationally adopted maritime regulations. Having supported the mandatory application of the audit scheme, we continue to believe that it is deserving of the full support and co-operation of all member states. As one of the leading ship registries in the world, we are delighted to have undertaken so satisfactorily what we consider to be an essential audit programme.”

• About the Liberian Registry

The Liberian Registry has a track record going back nearly 60 years of combining the highest standards for vessels and crews with the highest standards of responsive service to owners. It is proud to be in the top group of the Paris MOU White List of high-standard flags as well as the largest Qualship 21 designated registry by the US Coast Guard. Over 2,350 vessels of 74m gt currently fly the Liberian flag.

Issued by: Chris Hewer
Merlin Corporate Communications
+44 1293 55 00 44
[email protected]