Gard announced that it is joining the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), a network of more than 170 global companies working together to combat corruption in the maritime industry.
Established in 2011, MACN works to raise global awareness around the prevalence of corruption in maritime trade. It shares anti-corruption principles and best practices across the industry and collaborates closely with governments, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to mitigate the underlying causes of corruption.
We are proud to become an MACN member and look forward to working together on what is essentially a threat to transparency and fair trade in global shipping
Gard CEO, Rolf Thore Roppestad, said.
As part of its work, the MACN provides an Anonymous Incident Reporting System which allows users to report on any corrupt demands they experience during port calls and port operations. To date, the network has received more than 50,000 such reports from over 1,000 ports, across 149 countries.
“These numbers show how prevalent corruption still is, and its impact on the global shipping industry. It is a challenge we need to address both as individual companies and collectively; it requires a united front and a clear stance,” Mr. Roppestad added.
Governance is key
Gard’s membership in the MACN underpins its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. This goal specifically highlights the importance of legislation covering anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, and anti-terrorism financing.
We are very happy to welcome Gard into the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network. Our organisations share a common purpose: to minimize risk to crew and ships and to enable sustainable maritime development. The more we work together, the greater the impact we will have
Cecilia Müller Torbrand, CEO of MACN, stated.
Gard joins after another P&I Club also became a MACN member. Namely, in July North P&I Club joined the Network.
