ICS Publishes 2011 Flag State Performance Table
16/01/2012
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published its latest Shipping Industry Flag State Performance Table.
The table, which has undergone slight presentational modifications in response to government feedback, encourages owners to examine the quality of a flag state's service provision before using it, as well as encouraging owners to pressure flag administrations for any necessary improvements.
The table hopes to influence and advise owners in finding the correct balance between the commercial advantages of selecting a particular flag and the need to avert owners from selecting a flag that does not meet its statutory obligations.
Peter Hinchliffe, ICS Secretary General, commented: “ICS makes no apology for continuing to subject flag states to scrutiny, in the same way that ships and company procedures are rightly subjected to inspection by governments.” He declared that ICS’ reason for promoting high performing flags was because “they are less likely to tolerate substandard operators who would otherwise enjoy an unfair commercial advantage over the vast majority of fully compliant shipping companies.”
More Information
Download the Flag State Performance Table 2011 (415kb PDF)