According to a statement by the Liberian Registry, the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) has acknowledged Liberia as a quality flag, during a meeting at ITF headquarters in London.
Specifically, during this meeting in ITF’s headquarters, which was hosted in cooperation with the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC), Jacqueline Smith, ITF maritime co-ordinator, described Liberia as a ‘quality register’, quoting that Liberia is ‘in fact better than many national flag administrations.’
Liberian Registry’s CEO Scott Bergeron stated: “After 17 years of overseeing the Liberian flag fleet, it was refreshing to hear such an honest assessment from an organisation which until now has insisted on using the pejorative term ‘flag of convenience’ to describe Liberia’s maritime administration, despite overwhelming independent evidence of its position as one of the world’s safest and highest quality flags.
He also empsasized that there is nothing wrong with allowing a shipowner to be based in a country other than the state whose flag the ship flies. This will balance the commercial advantages of selecting a flag and the need to discourage the use of flags that do not meet their international obligations, Mr. Bergeron noted.
He concluded by saying that “Liberia welcomes its new-found status at the ITF, and looks forward to working with it towards a safer and fairer shipping industry.”