This 2021/2022 edition was withdrawn in January 2023 and replaced by the 2022/2023 edition.

There is nothing inherently unusual in an international ship registry system in which the owner of a ship may be located in a country other than the State whose flag the ship flies. However, a balance has to be struck between the commercial advantages of selecting a particular flag and the need to discourage the use of flags that do not meet their international obligations.

The purpose of this Flag State Performance Table is two-fold:

• To encourage shipowners and operators to examine whether a flag State has sufficient substance before using it.

• To encourage shipowners and operators to put pressure on their flag Administrations to affect any improvements that might be necessary, especially in relation to safety of life at sea, the protection of the marine environment, and the provision of decent working and living conditions for seafarers.

This Table summarises factual information in the public domain that might be helpful in assessing the performance of flag States. Sources are shown in the footnotes at the end of this report.