Improving Flag State performance goals for White List Status

Sierra Leone Maritime Administration aiming for White List Status

SIERRA LEONE: The Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMARAD) has recorded its strongest performance to date in the latest Paris Memorandum of Understanding (Paris MoU) Flag Performance List, moving the Registry closer to White List status.

The rankings are based on Port State Control inspections and detentions carried out during the 2023–2025 assessment period and came into effect on 1 July 2026.

“These results demonstrate that the measures we have introduced are delivering measurable improvements and reinforcing confidence in the Sierra Leone Flag.”

The Paris MoU White, Grey and Black Lists are among the shipping industry's most closely watched indicators of Flag State performance. They classify flag administrations according to their safety and compliance record, based on the total number of inspections and detentions across the Paris MoU region over a three-year rolling period. Shipowners, managers, charterers and insurers use the rankings to assess fleet quality and regulatory oversight.

During the 2023–2025 assessment period, the Sierra Leone Flag recorded 172 Port State Control inspections and just 10 detentions, resulting in an Excess Factor of 0.33. These results reflect a sustained improvement in fleet quality, regulatory oversight and compliance with international standards.

Compared with the previous assessment period, Sierra Leone reduced vessel detentions while maintaining a similar inspection volume, bringing the Registry closer to White List status.

The latest results place Sierra Leone ahead of several established registries on the Paris MoU Grey List, including Thailand, the Philippines, Egypt and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Under the Paris MoU methodology, reducing the total number of detentions by four over the three-year assessment period would have placed Sierra Leone on the White List, highlighting the progress made by the Registry in recent years.

“Improving Port State Control performance is not something that happens overnight,” said Alexandros Stylianou, Technical Manager of SLMARAD. “It requires consistent technical oversight, disciplined fleet management and a long-term commitment to quality. These results demonstrate that the measures we have introduced are delivering measurable improvements and reinforcing confidence in the Sierra Leone Flag.”

Over recent years, SLMARAD has continued to strengthen its technical oversight through enhanced fleet monitoring, compliance verification and a continued focus on quality. These initiatives form part of the Administration's strategy to improve fleet performance while supporting shipowners with a professionally managed and responsive flag administration.

“While we are proud of this milestone, our ambition extends beyond improving our ranking," added SLMARAD’s Business Development Manager, “Our objective is to provide shipowners with a reliable, efficient flag administration that supports safe operations and full compliance with international maritime regulations. We will continue building on this momentum as we work towards achieving White List status.”