GLOBAL PORT INTEGRITY PLATFORM LAUNCHED

Martin Benderson, Associate Director, MACN, notes: “GPIP will be a game-changer in the fight against maritime corruption. Currently,” he points out, “there are no international standards, or systematic methods of measuring integrity within and between ports.

“GPIP will allow charterers, cargo owners, and shipping companies to compare ports’ integrity performance and identify risks when trading. For seafarers and shipping companies, GPIP will provide dynamic data that will help empower the industry to say no to corruption by making it easier to assess risk and prepare for calling ports in high-risk locations. GPIP will show very clearly what problems are most common and what challenges seafarers can expect to encounter.”

The new platform is also what MACN regards as an engagement tool that can help facilitate constructive discussions between governments, the maritime industry, ports and terminals and other interested stakeholders by supporting MACN’s objectives of targeting corruption in the maritime sector.

Cecilia Müller Torbrand, CEO, MACN, notes that the platform currently includes 106 ports from over 50 countries, with a target of doubling the number of ports involved before the end of 2022. “For ports, GPIP will incentivise integrity by allowing for performance comparisons across ports regionally and globally. It will highlight ports that require investment and will also be a tool for international donors, private sector investors, and any stakeholder with an interest in port sector reform and trade facilitation,” she adds.