London, United Kingdom – Liberia has told the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that seafarers “must never become targets or casualties” of the wars now spreading along some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

Delivering Liberia’s General Statement on Tuesday, November 3, at the 138th session of the IMO Council (Agenda Item C138/11), Liberia’s Maritime Commissioner and CEO, Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe, Sr., expressed grave concern over persistent attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz. Thousands of seafarers and their vessels remain trapped in these waters by military operations.

“Seafarers are innocent civilian professionals performing legitimate duties essential to international trade and the global economy. They must never become targets or casualties of armed conflicts and geopolitical hostilities,” the statement said.

Commissioner Lighe warned that the “unwarranted attacks” continue to endanger innocent crews, damage commercial vessels and disrupt international trade, and “tragically, claim human lives.” He extended Liberia’s deepest condolences to the families of seafarers killed in the attacks.

Why Liberia Has a Stake

The plea carries particular weight coming from Monrovia. Liberia overtook Panama in 2023 to become the world’s largest ship registry by gross tonnage. It has since become the first flag state to pass 300 million gross tons, about 17 percent of the global fleet. That means a large share of the ships sailing through today’s war zones fly the Liberian flag, and registry earnings are a significant source of revenue for the Liberian government.

Liberian Ships in the Line of Fire

The war around Iran began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Since then, ships under Liberia’s flag have been caught in the crossfire again and again.

March 11: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they struck the Liberian-flagged Express Rome in the Strait of Hormuz after it ignored orders to stop.

August 3: The Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Minoan Pioneer was hit by a projectile about 20 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. The strike knocked out the ship’s power and set its accommodation block on fire. Its third engineer was reported missing.

August 31: A laden Liberian-flagged oil tanker was hit by multiple explosive devices while sailing out of the strait. The Liberia Maritime Authority reported that all crew were safe. Two days later, the Authority ordered Liberian-flagged ships in the area to the highest security level, Level 3.

Late September: Three Liberian-flagged oil tankers were struck by unknown projectiles on the same day in the Strait of Hormuz, the Oman Observer reported on October 1.

October 5: The Liberian-flagged tanker Lipsi, managed by Greece’s Dynacom Tankers, was hit by a projectile that damaged its engine room and started a fire. The crew was reported safe.

The threat to the Liberian flag predates the Iran war. In July 2025, Yemen’s Houthi rebels sank two Liberian-flagged bulk carriers, the Magic Seas and the Eternity C, in the Red Sea. At least four of the Eternity C’s crew were killed.

A Deadly October

Lighe’s statement came at the end of the worst month for shipping since the war began. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center counted more than 30 incidents in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf in October. That is more than double September’s total and brings the number of incidents since February 28 to 145. Industry figures cited by Reuters show that more than 30 supertankers have been damaged since the conflict began, 11 of them in October alone.

Among the incidents:

October 6: A projectile struck the Panama-flagged tanker On Peace off the Omani port of Limah and set it on fire. At least 12 of its 19 crew were injured, 11 of them Indian nationals, and Oman’s air force airlifted 10 to hospital.

October 13–14: Two Singapore-registered ships, the GFS Pride and the GFS Giselle, were hit by projectiles. The GFS Pride, a container ship, sank while under tow; all 21 crew were rescued. The GFS Giselle suffered hull damage, and its 22 crew were evacuated. U.S. officials blamed Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Iran said the GFS Pride hit a mine.

October 17: A supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude caught fire after what Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said was a mine strike on an “

MONROVIA – Edwina Dekontee Mowon continues her trailblazing journey from first female Gate Administrator and first female Berth Supervisor to becoming APM Terminals Liberia’s first female Shift Manager – another milestone for women in Liberia’s maritime industry.

The Freeport of Monrovia is celebrating another historic breakthrough for women in Maritime as Edwina Mowon becomes Shift Manager, the first female employee at APM Terminals Liberia to mark this achievement.

The milestone underscores APM Terminals Liberia’s continued commitment to developing Liberian talent, fostering inclusive leadership and creating opportunities for women to thrive in male dominated roles across the maritime sector.

Edwina joined APM Terminals Liberia in 2011 as the company’s first female Gate Administrator.

Over the past 15 years, she has built an inspiring career through hard work, continuous learning and operational excellence, serving in roles including Data Entry Clerk, Junior Buyer/Procurement Assistant, Dispatcher, Auxiliary Operations and Berth Supervisor.

In 2023, Edwina became APM Terminals Liberia’s first female Berth Supervisor, breaking barriers in one of the terminal’s core operational functions.

Since then, she has led vessel operations at the quay, coordinating teams to ensure safe, efficient and timely cargo handling to keep Liberia’s gateway to global trade moving.   

As Shift Manager, Edwina will lead shift operations, overseeing the safe and efficient coordination of vessel, yard and gate activities to drive operational performance and deliver exceptional service to customers.

Reflecting on her achievement, Edwina’s journey demonstrates what is possible through determination, perseverance and a commitment to excellence.

 It also reflects APM Terminals Liberia’s investment in developing local talent and building a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

MARSHALL, Margibi County – The Liberia Maritime Training Institute (LMTI), in collaboration with the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), today concluded a five-day Basic Port State Control (PSC) Training Course aimed at strengthening Liberia’s maritime regulatory capacity and enhancing the professional competencies of maritime personnel.

Held from October 19 to 23, 2026, at LMTI’s campus in Marshall, the training brought together 25 participants nominated by the Liberia Maritime Authority and provided them with foundational knowledge of Port State Control principles, vessel inspection procedures, and international maritime regulatory requirements. Participants were awarded certificates during a formal certification ceremony marking the successful completion of the program.

Port State Control is a critical component of the international maritime safety and environmental protection framework. It enables competent authorities to inspect foreign-flagged vessels calling at national ports and assess their compliance with international conventions relating to vessel safety, seafarer welfare, security standards, and environmental protection.

The training forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Liberia’s maritime administration, improve regulatory oversight, and support compliance with international maritime standards.

LiMA Reaffirms Commitment to Professional Development

Representing the Liberia Maritime Authority at the certification ceremony was Mr. Joel O. Dickerson, Director of Training, who underscored the importance of continuous capacity building and professional development within Liberia’s maritime sector.

Speaking during the program, Mr. Dickerson commended the partnership between LiMA and LMTI and emphasized the value of investing in human capital as a cornerstone of maritime development.

“The continued development of maritime professionals is essential to maintaining Liberia’s reputation and effectiveness as a leading maritime nation. Port State Control is a vital regulatory tool that helps safeguard maritime safety, protect the marine environment, and ensure compliance with international standards. We are pleased to see participants successfully complete this training and acquire knowledge that will contribute meaningfully to the advancement of the maritime sector.”

Mr. Dickerson further encouraged the participants to remain focused, disciplined, and determined as they continue their professional development journeys. He reminded them that the knowledge and skills gained through the training come with a significant responsibility, noting that they are not only representing their respective institutions but also representing Liberia on the international maritime stage.

“As maritime professionals, you carry the responsibility of upholding the highest standards of professionalism and competence. Stay focused and determined in your pursuit of excellence, because the work you do reflects not only on yourselves but on Liberia as a maritime nation. You represent your country, and your commitment to quality and integrity will help strengthen Liberia’s standing within the global maritime community.”

Mr. Dickerson also noted that collaboration between LiMA and LMTI remains important in building a skilled workforce capable of meeting the evolving demands of the global maritime industry.

Building National Maritime Expertise

As one of the world’s foremost maritime registries, Liberia recognizes the importance of strengthening local maritime expertise to support safer shipping operations, identify substandard vessels, and promote compliance with international maritime conventions.

The Basic Port State Control Training Course provided participants with practical exposure to internationally recognized inspection procedures and regulatory frameworks, establishing a solid foundation for continued professional growth in this specialized field.

By investing in maritime education and training, Liberia continues to strengthen its institutional capacity, enhance regulatory effectiveness, and support the sustainable development of the maritime sector.

Advancing Maritime Education and Institutional Cooperation

For LMTI, the successful delivery of the training reflects its commitment to providing industry-relevant maritime education and professional development opportunities that contribute to the growth of a highly skilled Liberian maritime workforce.

The Institute remains committed to working closely with national and international partners to advance maritime knowledge, foster professional excellence, and support a safer, more secure, and environmentally responsible maritime industry.

About the Liberia Maritime Training Institute (LMTI)

The Liberia Maritime Training Institute (LMTI) is Liberia’s premier maritime education and training institution dedicated to developing competent maritime professionals through quality education, practical training, and industry-focused capacity-building programs that support national and international maritime development.

Monrovia – As Liberia’s gateway to global trade continues to evolve, building local expertise remains essential to delivering safe, efficient, and reliable port operations. For more than a decade, APM Terminals Liberia has invested in developing Liberian talent, creating opportunities for employees to grow into leadership positions across the Freeport of Monrovia.

The recent appointments of Edwina Decontee Mowon and Ebenezer Opoku reflect the results of that long-term commitment to skills development, career growth, and succession planning.

Edwina joined APM Terminals Liberia in 2011 as the terminal’s first female Gate Administrator. Through continuous learning and experience across several operational functions, she advanced through roles including Dispatcher, Auxiliary Operations, and Berth Supervisor. In 2023, she became the terminal’s first female Berth Supervisor, and in 2026 achieved another milestone as the terminal’s first female Shift Manager.

Today, she plays a key role in coordinating vessel, yard, and gate operations, helping ensure the smooth movement of cargo through Liberia’s busiest port.

Ebenezer’s journey began in 2013 as an Intern after studies at the Liberia Maritime Training Institute (LMTI). Over the years, he progressed through a series of operational and planning leadership positions, gaining expertise in terminal operations, planning, and performance management. His leadership capabilities also saw him contribute to operational standardization initiatives across Asia and the Middle East.

On 1 September 2026, he was appointed Head of Operations within the Senior Management team, becoming one of the Liberian leaders responsible for overseeing operations at the country’s main trade gateway.

Together, their stories demonstrate how investment in people can strengthen local capacity and prepare Liberian professionals to lead increasingly complex maritime operations.

Developing local talent has remained a key focus for APM Terminals Liberia since the start of the concession. Through training, mentorship and leadership development, many Liberians have built careers in port and marine operations, engineering, safety, administration and management, contributing to a stronger and more capable Liberian maritime workforce.

As trade volumes grow and customer expectations continue to evolve, the development of skilled Liberian professionals remains central to the terminal’s ability to support Liberia’s economic ambitions and maintain an efficient gateway for imports and exports.

The journeys of Edwina and Ebenezer highlight what can be achieved when talent, opportunity and investment come together and demonstrates the growing role Liberian professionals are playing in shaping the future of our country’s maritime sector.

• Liberia and India launched the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers at the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday.
• The pairing unites the world’s largest ship registry by gross tonnage with one of its largest sources of seafarers.
• Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti tied the initiative directly to Liberia’s revenue, coastal communities and economic interests.
• The group has no terms of reference yet, and whether it delivers practical protection for crews remains the key test.

By Rodney D Sieh

New York – Somewhere tonight, on a tanker crossing the Red Sea or a bulk carrier waiting off a Gulf port, there is a sailor who has not seen his family in months. The ship he works on may be owned in Greece, managed in Singapore and crewed from Mumbai. But there is a good chance the flag flying from its stern is Liberia’s.

That quiet fact sits at the heart of a new diplomatic partnership launched Friday in New York. On the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti and India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar unveiled the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers, known by the shorthand GoF on S4.

On paper it is another UN coalition. In practice, it is a meeting of two countries whose stakes in global shipping are enormous but very different: one owns the flag, the other supplies the hands.

A Natural, If Unusual, Partnership

Liberia has for years run the world’s largest shipping registry by gross tonnage, a remarkable standing for a small West African nation still rebuilding after war. India, for its part, is one of the biggest sources of the people who actually sail those ships.

That makes the two countries natural allies at a time when the sea has become more dangerous. When a Liberian-flagged vessel is attacked, the crew on board is very often from South Asia. When Indian seafarers are stranded or harmed, the flag state is frequently Liberia. The new group formalizes a relationship that already existed on thousands of decks.

Nyanti called the launch a landmark diplomatic and maritime achievement. She reminded delegates that the global economy moves on the oceans, with more than 80 percent of the goods that sustain economies worldwide carried by sea.

The Danger on the Water

Jaishankar was blunt about why the group is needed now. He pointed to recent attacks on commercial ships in the Gulf, the Red Sea and the Black Sea, noting that such incidents have cost innocent lives, including those of Indian seafarers. Attacks on civilian shipping that disrupt trade and endanger lives, he said, are unacceptable.

For Liberia, those headlines are not abstract. Several Liberian-flagged vessels have been among the ships struck in Red Sea attacks in recent years, putting the country’s flag in the middle of conflicts it has no part in.

Beyond the missiles and pirates, Jaishankar described a quieter set of hardships: sailors confined aboard ships for months, crew changes and repatriation delayed, long separation from families and the psychological strain that follows. Nearly two million seafarers keep the world’s merchant fleets moving, he said, and they deserve stronger international protection.

Three Pillars, and a Promise Not to Duplicate

Nyanti laid out what the group is meant to stand on: safety of shipping, security of maritime transport and protection of seafarers.

On safety, she stressed strict technical standards, vessel compliance and environmental stewardship. On security, she spoke of protecting commercial sea lanes from piracy, armed attacks, regional instability and emerging asymmetric threats. On seafarers, she named crew abandonment, fair labor standards, rapid medical help and protection for crews passing through conflict zones.

She was also careful to say what the group is not. It is meant to be action-oriented and to complement, not duplicate, the work of the International Maritime Organization and the International Labour Organization. That is an important signal in a UN system already crowded with overlapping bodies.

India has brought ideas of its own. Jaishankar recalled New Delhi’s proposal at the recent BRICS Summit for a Seafarers Emergency Support Network that would link maritime authorities and embassies to handle distress alerts, medical help, family communication and evacuations. India also co-hosted, with Greece and the Philippines, a UN Arria Formula meeting on the protection of seafarers in November 2025.

What Is in It for Liberia

The most telling part of Nyanti’s remarks may have been the least nautical. She said Liberia will work with the Liberia Maritime Authority and international partners to secure safe corridors for goods, while safeguarding Liberia’s economic interests, domestic revenue generation, coastal communities and people.

That line speaks to an old tension at home. The maritime registry is one of Liberia’s most important sources of foreign revenue, yet many Liberians have long questioned how much of that global prestige reaches ordinary citizens. By placing revenue and coastal communities alongside sailors’ safety, the government is signaling that it wants maritime diplomacy to deliver at home, too.

There is also a reputational calculation. A flag that is seen as unsafe, or indifferent to the crews who serve under it, risks losing business to competitors. Being seen to lead on seafarer welfare strengthens the Liberian brand on the high seas.

The Hard Part Comes Next

For now, the group is a promise. India and Liberia say they will work with members to draft its modalities and terms of reference through a consultative process. There is no secretariat, no budget and no timetable yet.

The real test will be whether the coalition can do anything a stranded or endangered sailor would notice: speed up an evacuation, force action on an abandoned crew, or make a dangerous shipping lane even slightly safer. Diplomatic groups of friends often begin with strong speeches and fade into quiet annual meetings.

What makes this one worth watching is the combination at its core. A flag without crews has little moral weight; crews without a flag have little legal standing. Together, Liberia and India can speak for both the ship and the people on it.

For the sailor on the Red Sea tonight, that is still only words. Whether it becomes more will depend on what Monrovia and New Delhi do after the cameras leave New York.

NEW YORK — The Republic of Liberia and the United States of America on Sunday, held a high-level closed-door maritime roundtable in New York, convening senior foreign policy, national security, and maritime officials from both governments for strategic discussions on maritime security, economic cooperation, and the growing importance of secure sea lanes to global trade and supply chains.

According to a release, the roundtable was co-chaired by Madam Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia, and Ambassador Michael G. Waltz, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations and former National Security Advisor to President Donald J. Trump.

Commissioner Neto Lighe and National Security Advisor Samuel Kofi Woods led the technical presentations from the Liberian side. Discussions focused on maritime security, fisheries and the blue economy, and economic development opportunities of mutual interest to both nations.

Participation by the private sector and representatives from maritime nations, including Argentina and Panama, reflected broad international interest in the economic diplomacy framework guiding the engagement.

For Liberia, the roundtable underscored the country’s expanding role in global maritime affairs and its commitment to leveraging its strategic maritime position to advance national economic interests, deepen security cooperation, and attract investment. The engagement also reinforced the longstanding partnership between Liberia and the United States, with both sides affirming practical cooperation around shared economic and security priorities.

The Liberian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Nyanti and included National Security Advisor Samuel Kofi Woods; Commissioner and CEO of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe, Sr.; and Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Lewis G. Brown II.

The United States delegation was led by Ambassador Waltz and included Frank Garcia, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; Wesley R. Brooks, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs; and former Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, among other senior officials.

The seniority and breadth of both delegations, spanning African affairs, oceans and environmental policy, national security, and maritime administration, reflected the strategic scope of the discussions and the importance both governments place on deepening cooperation in the maritime domain.

The meeting was held on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, where Liberia is engaged in a series of high-level diplomatic meetings.

Liberia is currently serving a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council for 2026 to 2027 and will assume the Presidency of the Council in December 2026, further elevating the country’s voice in international discussions on peace, security, and multilateral cooperation.

MONROVIA — For the better part of three weeks, the IB Atlantic IV existed mostly as a rumor with coordinates attached. It was a ship the government said it was watching, a ship whose engine trouble nobody could quite verify, a ship that drifted at 0.3 knots toward a port it wasn’t supposed to be near, flying a flag that asks almost nothing of the vessels that fly it. Liberians read about it in fragments — an anonymous government source here, a rejected letter there, a pursuit off Rivercess that didn’t end so much as move somewhere else. 

By Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com

That fragment collecting is over. The IB Atlantic IV has been arrested in Ivory Coast, and for the first time since this saga began, the ship everyone was chasing is not the one deciding where it goes next.

It is Ivorian security forces who now decide that. Liberia is left to ask for it back.

A quieter ending than the chase deserved

There is something almost anticlimactic about how it ended. After Armed Forces troops pursued the vessel off Rivercess, after the Coast Guard admitted its boats simply weren’t built for a chase that went this far, after Nigerian partners were brought in to help track a ship Liberia couldn’t catch on its own — the capture came not from a Liberian deck but from a neighboring country’s port authority, acting on a warning Liberia itself had sent to Abidjan and Conakry.

That is not nothing. Liberia’s outreach to Ivory Coast and Guinea worked exactly as regional cooperation is supposed to work. But it also means the country’s own maritime enforcement — the Coast Guard, the National Security Agency, the Armed Forces chief of staff who was, by his own agency’s account, “personally monitoring” the situation for a week — never once had the ship in hand. Now the Liberia Maritime Authority is scrambling to arrange a Sea Shepherd Global escort just to bring the vessel home, the same partnership that has helped Liberian authorities make roughly twenty fishing-vessel arrests since 2017. It is a solution built for a different problem, repurposed now because Liberia has no faster one.

Whether narcotics were aboard the ship remains, as of this writing, unconfirmed. That single unanswered question is the hinge the entire story turns on — and Monrovia will not rest easy until it is answered.

The paper trail that came before the pursuit

To understand why this ship earned three weeks of national anxiety, it helps to go back to July 13, to a letter that, read today, sounds like a rehearsal for everything that followed.

That was the day Mark Egon Kuiah — then a deputy at Roberts International Airport, a man with no formal role in maritime affairs — wrote to the Liberia Maritime Authority not as a government official but as “registered agent” for a company called Madris Group of Companies Incorporated. The vessel he was writing about, he said, was in distress at sea, its engine performance compromised by “external obstruction affecting the vessel’s propeller.” It needed a berth. It needed a dive team.

LiMA said no. The agency’s reasoning, delivered plainly to this newspaper, was that the story didn’t add up: the ship hadn’t docked anywhere, was still sitting in Sierra Leonean waters, and yet was already being arranged for a Liberian welcome, as if the paperwork had gotten ahead of the emergency.

Weeks later, Kuiah was swept up in the same dismissal wave that has since widened into Liberia’s broader cocaine purge — a purge that has also ensnared the former commander of the Liberia Immigration Service post at Bo-Waterside and his deputy, both allegedly caught in March carrying suspected narcotics while trying to cross back from Sierra Leone.

The ship in Kuiah’s letter was the IB Atlantic IV.

A ship that told two different stories about itself

What makes the IB Atlantic IV genuinely strange is not that it was suspicious — plenty of vessels off West Africa’s coast are. It’s that the ship told two irreconcilable stories about itself at the same time, and neither matched what its own transponder was broadcasting.

One account, from an anonymous government source, placed it in distress off Sierra Leone, drifting toward Guinea-Bissau. Kuiah’s letter, filed a week earlier, told a third version entirely. And the ship’s Automatic Identification System — the transponder every large vessel must broadcast, showing position, speed, and declared destination — placed it in open West African waters, moving at a crawl, declaring a destination of Lomé, Togo. Not Sierra Leone. Not Guinea-Bissau. 

A 41-year-old cargo ship, flagged in Comoros — a registry international shipping analysts describe as asking few questions of anyone — moving at less than a third of a knot is not a ship in transit. It is a ship waiting. And in the days after it first appeared, intelligence sources told FrontPageAfrica that a smaller, unidentified vessel approached it and appeared to attempt passing something aboard. Officials have never said what, or whether the attempt succeeded. But the detail reframes everything that came before it: not a disabled ship asking for mercy, but a ship parked at a fixed position, waiting for a delivery that Liberia’s institutions were too slow, or too divided, to intercept.

The week nobody was in charge

Ask three Liberian security institutions who was responsible for the IB Atlantic IV in its first days in Liberian waters, and — as this newspaper found when it tried — you get three different answers that all point somewhere else. LiMA said it had “information relative to the vessel” and had passed it along to the National Security Agency. The NSA said the Coast Guard was aware. The Coast Guard’s own chief of staff was, according to the NSA, personally monitoring the situation.

Everyone was watching. No one was catching.

That is the sentence this episode leaves behind, and it is the sentence Liberia’s Legislature should sit with before it advances a bill to break the National Port Authority into four separate regional operators. A government that could not coordinate a single response to one suspicious ship, watched by three agencies for the better part of a week, is being asked to prove it can coordinate four ports instead of one. Nothing about the events of the last three weeks makes that case. If anything, the IB Atlantic IV has made the opposite case for free.

What comes next

The ship is now sitting in an Ivorian port, in Ivorian hands, waiting on a Liberian government trying to arrange its own passage home. Whether the coming search finally answers the question that has hung over this entire saga — was there ever anything aboard — will determine whether this story ends as a costly false alarm or the confirmation of exactly what critics of Liberia’s port security have warned about for months.

Either way, the country got lucky this time only in the sense that a neighbor caught what it could not. That is not luck built to last, and it is not oversight built to repeat.

London, United Kingdom – The Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Maritime Authority, Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe Sr., has reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to improving global maritime safety, security, environmental protection, and innovation during a high-level meeting with Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

By Edwin G. Genoway, Jr(231886458910)-

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 137th Session of the IMO Council in London on Wednesday, July 8.

According to the Liberia Maritime Authority, the meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between Liberia and the IMO while discussing

ways to make the global shipping industry safer, more secure, efficient and environmentally friendly.

During the talks, Cllr. Lighe said Liberia remains committed to maintaining high standards in maritime governance.

He also highlighted the country’s continued cooperation with the IMO in implementing international maritime agreements and following global best practices.

The two officials discussed measures to improve maritime safety and security, address environmental challenges affecting the shipping industry, and promote innovation that will help make international shipping more efficient and sustainable.

Cllr. Lighe noted that Liberia, which operates one of the world’s largest ship registries, will continue working closely with the IMO and other international partners to support efforts aimed at creating a safer, cleaner and more secure maritime environment.

As part of the meeting, the LiMA boss formally invited Secretary-General Dominguez to visit Liberia.

According to the Authority, the proposed visit would further strengthen the long-standing relationship between Liberia and the IMO while allowing the Secretary-General to meet with key stakeholders in the country’s maritime sector and identify new opportunities for cooperation.

The Liberia Maritime Authority said the meeting reflects Liberia’s active role within the IMO and demonstrates the country’s commitment to contributing to the development of international maritime policies and standards.

Liberia is participating in the 137th Session of the IMO Council as part of its broader strategy to strengthen international partnerships and advance the country’s interests within the global maritime industry.

Monrovia – Liberia has further consolidated its dominance in the global maritime sector, retaining its position as the world’s largest shipping registry for the third consecutive year and widening its lead over its closest competitor by nearly 45 million gross tons (GT).

According to the respected London-based maritime publication Lloyd’s List, the Liberian registry recorded almost 300 million GT as of November 1, 2025, reflecting a 3.2 percent increase over the same period in 2024. The growth reinforces Liberia’s standing as the leading flag state in the global shipping industry.

Commenting on the achievement, Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe Sr. described the recognition as a call to action to sustain innovation and uphold international best practices befitting the world’s largest flag state and an International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council Category “A” member.

Lloyd’s List attributed part of the sustained expansion to international recognition Liberia received in June 2025 from the U.S.-based advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which commended the Liberian registry for operating a “world-class compliance programme.” The commendation followed UANI’s assessment that Liberia’s fleet was free of tankers suspected of involvement in illicit oil trading.

Beyond compliance accolades, Liberia has also maintained its position on the White Lists of both the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding on Port State Control. These top-tier rankings, which evaluate safety performance over a rolling three-year period, reflect Liberia’s strong safety record between 2022 and 2024, as captured in the 2025 rankings.

The publication further noted that the Liberian flag remains one of the most globally visible, flying across nearly every vessel category and operating in all major maritime regions. This extensive footprint is underscored by the fact that 25.24 percent of newly built ships worldwide are registered under the Liberian flag, highlighting the registry’s continued appeal to shipowners.

As of early 2025, Liberia’s registry managed more than 286 million GT, accounting for roughly 17 percent of the global shipping market. By the final quarter of the year, the fleet expanded to nearly 300 million GT, marking one of the strongest annual growth performances among major global registries.

With its sustained focus on safety, regulatory compliance, and global reach, Liberia’s maritime program remains a cornerstone of the country’s international standing and a leading force in the global shipping industry.