21/05/2015
The flags of convenience (or open registers) provide the shipowners the means to sidestep the strict national (European and American) labour legislations. But their association with sub-standard classification societies has brought a slackening of the necessary strictness in matters of safety, and have become a favourite system for terrorists and drugs, weapons and human beings traffickers to avoid the action of the law enforcing agencies.
Secondary or special registers have been some nations’ attempt to limit the migration of their ships to those flags, but it has proved largely unsuccessful. A concerted reform of the system is necessary.
Author: Fernando del Pozo
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