The Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LMA) Lenn Eugene Nagbe has heaped praises on the Liberia Permanent Mission to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for what he termed as professional and responsible representation of Liberia.
Commissioner Nagbe noted that the Liberia maritime program is succeeding because of the quality of staff on the team at the mission and the support of the agent, the Liberia Ship and Corporate Registry (LISCR).
He said that so far, the administration of President George Manneh Weah is pleased with the level of work the Permanent Representative, Moses Owen Browne and team are doing in London by ensuring responsible representation at the IMO and pushing the agenda of the country.
“We hail our Agent, the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry (LISCR) and of course the Liberia Maritime Authority team for the level of support to both Liberia and the work at the International Maritime Organization.” he told a meeting during his recent visit.
“I believe the team headed by Moses Browne is doing a great job and you guys should continue on this path,” he said.
At the same time, Commissioner Nagbe has vowed to ensure Liberia becomes number one in the global maritime industry. As the fattest growing flag state within the maritime and shipping industry, he sounded confidently that the country will very soon take the number one spot.
In the Maritime World, a Flag state of a merchant’s vessel is the jurisdiction under whose laws the vessel is registered or licensed, and is deemed the nationality of the vessel. In late 2018, Liberia became the second-largest flag State in the world, and since then, has continued to lead the world in fleet growth for two straight years.
The 2020 Clarkson’s World Fleet Monitor says Liberia has outpaced all other Open Registries having grown at 8.06% and 13.8 million Gross Tons since January 2020.
Liberia is a Party to all the major maritime safety and environmental protection Conventions and Treaties and is a founding and active member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). And the country is a party to many International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions and the first State to accede to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006.
The country has set the standard with regard to IMO and ILO participation and early ratification of the major Safety, Security, Seafarer, and Environmental Protection Treaties. The country has also been entrusted to co-chair the IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee, a major functionary of the Organization.
At the Liberian mission, maritime diplomats provide permanent representation at the IMO through its Permanent Mission to in London.
They provide full-time voice to the issues affecting maritime safety, security and environmental protection on the IMO agenda at the assembly, council and numerous committee and sub-committee meetings.
Browne was appointed Permanent Representative of Liberia at the International Maritime Organization duly accredited by the Government of the Republic of Liberia serving as the official link between the IMO and Liberia in respect of all political, diplomatic, administrative and technical questions which may arise in the relations of the IMO and the Liberian Government.