Steamship Mutual joins the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN)

MACN brings together a wide range of stakeholders, such as port and customs authorities, NGOs, and local government, as well as MACN members. By jointly analysing root causes, a range of measures can be adopted designed to tackle corruption in the ports of the selected country and throughout the maritime supply chain.

Examples of MACN’s collective action programs to date are new regulations in Argentina that make it more difficult for officials to demand bribes; reductions in demands for facilitation payments in the Suez Canal; and improving ease of operations in Nigerian ports through implementation of standardised operating procedures and grievance mechanisms.

Shipping companies that join MACN can benefit from the following resources:

• Country guides containing practical advice are available for MACN ‘collective action countries’.

• Local HelpDesks in Argentina, Egypt, Ghana, India, Nigeria and Ukraine. The HelpDesk provides operational advice when vessels and crew are faced with unethical demands and/or unethical or unfair outcomes from inspections.

• Other frontline materials include guidance for captains, template letters to agents, and posters for displaying in prominent places, so that they can be seen by third parties coming on board the ship.

• E-Learning training videos for staff with modules tailored to captains, agents, cadets, and P&I correspondents.

• Charterparty clauses such as anti-bribery, business principles, general business ethics, and a compliance clause for agents.

• Anti-corruption policy toolkits including: blueprints for codes of integrity and conduct; guidance for compliance officers, and self-assessment tools to help member companies identify corruption risks to their organisation.

MACN member companies also have access to a Global Port Integrity Platform (“GPIP”) which assesses integrity in ports and terminals worldwide based on multiple data sources. GPIP utilizes data obtained from MACN’s Anonymous Reporting System, which is open to both MACN members and non-members. A report can be submitted by anyone who is involved in or witnesses a corruption incident which MACN defines as “when a public official or an agent on behalf of a public official makes; a demand for items which are not intended to be consumed on board the vessel, issues an unjustified fine, threatens the safety of the vessel or crew, or behaves in an unethical manner”. 

Reports are confined to the date and location of the incident, the nature of the demand, the actor who made the demand, the stated or implied consequences of not adhering to the demand, and the vessel type. To maintain anonymity, names of people, companies and vessels are not reported; nor is information of whether gifts, payment, or other benefits were given.
The Club’s Managers are pleased to be able to support the MACN in working towards the elimination of all forms of maritime corruption.

Patrick Britton
Claims Manager