The Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) has issued a communique committing the Liberia maritime sector to fully cooperate and collaborate in preparing Liberia for the International Maritime Organization’s mandatory audit scheme.
The communique was issued recently at the end of a one-day high-level meeting among stakeholders of the maritime sector on preparing Liberia for the IMO audit scheme.
According to the communique, “Having ratified SOLAS, MARPOL, COLREG, LOADLINE, STCW and ITC as amended, and accepted to be audited through IMO member state audit scheme to assess the effectiveness of Liberia’s implementation and enforcement of these conventions, and
“Noting that the IMO Instruments Implementation Code (III Code) calls for member states to develop an overall strategy to meet its international obligations and responsibilities as a flag, port and coastal state, and
“Desiring to create a single, coherent framework and structure for cooperation and collaboration among all entities and institutions of the maritime sector of Liberia, and
“Mindful of our position as a major ship registry which requires us to ensure effective enforcement of international maritime instruments, and
“Having exhaustively discussed the agenda items which include the establishment of the National Maritime Committee and the adoption of the National Maritime Strategy of Liberia, issue this communique on this 24th day of February of the year 2023, committing our respective entities to fully cooperate and collaborate in preparing Liberia for the IMO Mandatory Audit Scheme.”
The communique recalled that the Liberia Maritime Authority Act calls for collaboration, coordination and consultation with the Ministry of National Defense (specifically the Coast Guard), the Ministry of Justice (police, immigration and other relevant law enforcement agencies), the Ministry of Finance (customs), the National Port Authority (NPA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), the Ministry of Transport and other government institutions engaged in activities related to the maritime sector, which exist or may be established in the future, with a view to working together to promote the country’s social and economic development associated with or growing out of the national maritime, marine and related programs and activities.
It emphasized the importance of the audit and the urgency to take immediate action to establish the National Maritime Committee and adopt the National Maritime Strategy, and urged all stakeholders to allocate the needed resources to invest in systems, equipment and infrastructure and build human capacity to implement and enforce international conventions to which Liberia is a party—to accord due respect to the IMSAS Consultant and provide the support needed to help each entity achieve its audit goals.