FLAG OF CONVENIENCE
Flag of convenience (FOC) also known as "flag of
necessity"
A flag of convenience ship is one that flies the flag of a country other than the country of ownership
FOC
1) Whether the country allows non citizens to own and control vessels.
2) Whether access to and transfer from the registry is easy.
3) Whether taxes on shipping income are low r non existent.
4) Whether the country of registration does not need the shipping tonnage for its own purposes but is keen to
earn the tonnage fees.
5) Whether manning by non-nationals is freely permitted.
6) Whether country lacks the power (or the willingness) to impose national or international regulations on the
ship owner using its flag.
In defining an FOC register, the ITF takes as the most important factor whether the nationality of the ship owner is the same as the nationality of the flag.
the flag of convenience affects the standards of shipping all the way.
Some of these registers have poor safety and training standards, and place no restriction on the nationality of the crew. Sometimes, because of language differences, seafarers are not able to communicate effectively with each other, putting safety and the efficient operation of the ship at risk.
In many cases these flags are not even run from the country concerned.
Once a ship is registered under an FOC many shipowners then recruit the cheapest labour they can find, pay minimal wages and cut costs by lowering standards of living and working conditions for the crew.
THE FOC VESSELS
MANY OF FOC VESSELS ARE
1. UNSAFE
Many FOC vessels are older than the average age and badly maintained
2. UNPROTECTED
Poor safety practices andAccidents are frequent, but for many shipowners the delivery of cargoes and the costs of any delay are their only concerns.
3.Unpaid
The crews owed large sums of money. Some crews simply aren't paid. Those that are sometimes find that companies delay, or fail to make, payments to their families when they want to send money home. In many cases months go by without any sign of money promised to seafarers. With no pay they cannot even afford to escape and make their own way home.
4.Insecure
the terrorist organisations can own and operate ships under the FOC system with impunity. Arms smuggling, the ability to conceal large sums of money, trafficking in goods and people, and other illegal activities can also thrive in the unregulated havens which the FOC system provides.
using below link of itf the seafarer can find out the vessel and its itf agreements
http://seafarers.oxfordwebapps.com/find-vessel
The following 34 countries have been declared FOCs by the ITF's Fair
Practices Committee (a joint committee of ITF seafarers' and dockers'
unions), which runs the ITF campaign against FOCs:
http://www.itfseafarers.org/focs-to-seafarers.cfm
A flag of convenience ship is one that flies the flag of a country other than the country of ownership
FOC
1) Whether the country allows non citizens to own and control vessels.
2) Whether access to and transfer from the registry is easy.
3) Whether taxes on shipping income are low r non existent.
4) Whether the country of registration does not need the shipping tonnage for its own purposes but is keen to
earn the tonnage fees.
5) Whether manning by non-nationals is freely permitted.
6) Whether country lacks the power (or the willingness) to impose national or international regulations on the
ship owner using its flag.
In defining an FOC register, the ITF takes as the most important factor whether the nationality of the ship owner is the same as the nationality of the flag.
the flag of convenience affects the standards of shipping all the way.
Some of these registers have poor safety and training standards, and place no restriction on the nationality of the crew. Sometimes, because of language differences, seafarers are not able to communicate effectively with each other, putting safety and the efficient operation of the ship at risk.
In many cases these flags are not even run from the country concerned.
Once a ship is registered under an FOC many shipowners then recruit the cheapest labour they can find, pay minimal wages and cut costs by lowering standards of living and working conditions for the crew.
THE FOC VESSELS
MANY OF FOC VESSELS ARE
1. UNSAFE
Many FOC vessels are older than the average age and badly maintained
2. UNPROTECTED
Poor safety practices andAccidents are frequent, but for many shipowners the delivery of cargoes and the costs of any delay are their only concerns.
3.Unpaid
The crews owed large sums of money. Some crews simply aren't paid. Those that are sometimes find that companies delay, or fail to make, payments to their families when they want to send money home. In many cases months go by without any sign of money promised to seafarers. With no pay they cannot even afford to escape and make their own way home.
4.Insecure
the terrorist organisations can own and operate ships under the FOC system with impunity. Arms smuggling, the ability to conceal large sums of money, trafficking in goods and people, and other illegal activities can also thrive in the unregulated havens which the FOC system provides.
using below link of itf the seafarer can find out the vessel and its itf agreements
http://seafarers.oxfordwebapps.com/find-vessel
Current Registries Listed as FOCs
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda (UK)
- Bolivia
- Burma
- Cambodia
- Cayman Islands
- Comoros
- Cyprus
- Equatorial Guinea
- Faroe Islands (FAS)
- French International Ship Register (FIS)
- German International Ship Register (GIS)
- Georgia
- Gibraltar (UK)
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Malta
- Marshall Islands (USA)
- Mauritius
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Netherlands Antilles
- North Korea
- Panama
- Sao Tome and PrÃncipe
- St Vincent
- Sri Lanka
- Tonga
- Vanuatu
http://www.itfseafarers.org/focs-to-seafarers.cfm
