§ Mr. CarmichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of Liberia's use of revenue generated by its shipping register to purchase arms in breach of the UN embargo. [60169]
§ Mr. MacShane[holding answer 10 June 2002]: The report of the UN Expert Panel published in October 2001 found that in 2000 revenue from the Liberian Shipping Registries Incorporated (LISCR) (which manages Liberia's shipping registry on behalf of the Government of Liberia) was diverted to purchase arms in breach of UN sanctions. Since then LISCR has taken action to prevent this reoccurring. LISCR channels shipping registry funds to Liberia's Bureau of Maritime Affairs which the panel described in April 2002 as 'little more than a cash extraction operation and cover from which to fund and organise off-budget expenditures including for sanctions-busting'. The Expert Panel report published in April 2002 expressed continued concern at the use made by the Bureau of Maritime Affairs of Liberia's shipping registry funds.
President Taylor's involvement in weapons trafficking and his support for armed groups continue to threaten regional peace and stability. The UK therefore welcomes the provisions contained in UN Security Council resolution 1408 (2002) that call on Liberia to establish transparent and internationally verifiable audit regimes to ensure that revenue derived from the Liberia shipping registry is used for legitimate social, humanitarian and development purposes, not sanction-busting.