The West African country of Sierra Leone has achieved its best result to date in the ranking of flag states. The Paris MoU’s ‘White List’ is now within reach.
In the latest performance overview of flag states, the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMARAD) achieved a good result. Out of a total of 172 inspections, only ten vessels were detained, corresponding to a deviation factor of 0.33. For this West African country, this result reflects its ongoing commitment to improving fleet quality, regulatory oversight and compliance with international standards, as the authority stated.
The ranking of flag states set out in the ‘Paris Memorandum of Understanding’ (Paris MoU) is based on inspections and detentions carried out under port state control during the assessment period from 2023 to 2025. The new ranking came into force on 1 July 2026. The list categorises flag states into the ‘White List’, ‘Grey List’ and ‘Black List’, depending on whether safety and compliance requirements are met. Shipowners, ship managers, charterers and insurers use these rankings to assess fleet quality and regulatory oversight.
Compared with the previous assessment period, Sierra Leone was able to reduce the number of vessel detentions, whilst the volume of inspections remained largely unchanged; as a result, the ship register moved closer to ‘White List’ status. Sierra Leone is currently ranked 48th.
“With these latest results, Sierra Leone is placed on the Paris MoU’s ‘Grey List’ ahead of several established registers, including Thailand, the Philippines, Egypt and St Vincent and the Grenadines,” SLMARAD announced. According to the Paris MoU methodology, a reduction of four cases in the total number of detentions over the three-year assessment period would have moved Sierra Leone onto the ‘White List’ – this is evidence of the progress the register has made in recent years.
“Improvement does not happen overnight”
“Improving performance in port state control does not happen overnight,” said Alexandros Stylianou, Technical Director of SLMARAD. “It requires consistent technical oversight, disciplined fleet management and a long-term commitment to quality. These results show that the measures we have introduced are bringing about measurable improvements and strengthening confidence in the Sierra Leone flag.”
According to its own statement, the register has done a great deal in recent years to improve fleet monitoring and regulatory compliance. However, the goal has not yet been achieved.
“Whilst we are proud of this milestone, our ambition goes beyond simply improving our ranking,” said the Head of Business Development at SLMARAD. “Our aim is to offer shipowners a reliable and efficient flag administration that ensures safe operations and full compliance with international maritime regulations. We will build on this momentum and work consistently towards achieving ‘White List’ status.”
According to the Paris MoU, the top five flag states currently include the British Cayman Islands in the Caribbean, as well as Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Japan. The German flag is also on the ‘White List’, ranked 19th.
However, a good rating in the Paris MoU does not automatically mean that these flags are also the most popular among shipowners. Most ships (measured in GT) currently fly the Liberian flag, followed by Panama, the Marshall Islands, Singapore and Hong Kong. A complete overview and analysis of the current rankings can be found in the forthcoming August issue of HANSA.
