The Ghana Maritime Authority in collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation has organized a five days regional workshop on Flag State Implementation for countries within West and Central African sub region.
Hellenic Shipping reports that the workshop was aimed at providing the participants with information regarding Flag state obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as other international instrument such as the various Conventions of the IMO and International Labour Organisation.
The Ghana Maritime Authority in collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation has organized a five days regional workshop on Flag State Implementation for countries within West and Central African sub region.
Hellenic Shipping reports that the workshop was aimed at providing the participants with information regarding Flag state obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as other international instrument such as the various Conventions of the IMO and International Labour Organisation.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop, the Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs. Joyce Mogtari, noted that the concept of the flag state obligations came into being through the evolution of the customary use of the flag as a means of identification of the state and jurisdiction to which the ship belongs.
She said the flag state was required to do the following; maintain a register of ships containing the particulars of ships flying its flags; assume jurisdiction over the ships flying its flag and its crew; and to take measures regarding the safety and navigation of the ship, particularly with regard to the construction, equipment, manning, security and seaworthiness of the ships.
According to her, the flag state compliance coupled with effective port state control and security audit measures are the surest way by which states can ensure the seaworthiness and security of ships that are registered to fly national flags well as foreign ships visit ports and terminals for commercial transactions.
“It is worth nothing that most of the participating countries in this workshops are signatories to the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control as well as contracting parties to the International Convention on Safety of lives at sea and international Ship and Port Facility Security Codes”, she indicated.
She has therefore urged these countries to intensify their collaboration efforts and implement effective port state control inspections in order to ensure that the region does not become a haven for the operations of substandard and unseaworthy Ships.
Adding that, the International Maritime Organization as the competent organization responsible for regulating international shipping together with the ILO have over the years adopted a number of international maritime conventions which have been accepted by various countries.
These conventions lay down the global standards for ensuring safe, secure and efficient shipping operations as well as well as the protection of the marine environment.
The sector minister however, urged countries in the sub-region that have not yet ratified acceded to these international conventions to take urgent steps to do so and also implement these conventions by incorporating their provisions into national legislation to provide the requisite legal framework for enforcement.
She therefore commended the Ghana Maritime Authority for its continued partnership with the IMO and other relevant organizations in building the capacities of maritime administration within the West and Central African sub region.
The Director General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Mr. Peter Azumah, noted that to have a well-organized maritime safety administration with the requisite technical staffed, well-resourced with sufficient logistics for effective performance is a necessary condition.
According to him, the flag states must be able to give full and complete effect to the relevant conventions and codes to ships under their register.
Adding that, it is a Governmental function. This he said, when a Convention or Code that been adopted and accepted by the State it is the responsibility of the Government of the State to implement it.
“The Convention or Code is part of national law and enforced just like any other law. In the process of making the convention or Code part of national law sanctions and penalties may be created to deter infractions”, he noted. In all, West and Central African countries, including: Angola, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sao Time and Principe and Ghana participated in this august workshop.
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