At its 112th session, the IMO’s Legal Committee adopted guidelines on fair treatment of seafarers detained in connection with alleged crimes. The guidelines seek to address the significant rise of cases of seafarers detained in connection with alleged crimes reported to the ILO and the IMO.
A key development from the committee's recent session was the adoption of these finalised guidelines, following the recommendations of the Joint ILO-IMO Tripartite Working Group (JTWG).
These guidelines, developed during the JTWG's third meeting in November 2024, aim to address the growing number of seafarers detained in such cases and improve coordination between flag states, port states, seafarers' home states and shipowners to ensure fair treatment. The guidelines emphasise the need for clear principles that can be adapted to various national systems, aiming to prevent the criminalisation of seafarers before thorough investigations. They offer essential guidance for port States, flag States, coastal States, the seafarer's nation, shipowners, and the seafarers themselves.
The guidelines include extensive and specific recommendations for shipowners to follow should crew employed or engagement by them be detained on suspicion of committing a crime and as such we advise members to familiarise themselves with the content of the guidelines-
BIMCO contributed to the drafting process of these guidelines in the JTWG and was delighted to see them adopted swiftly thanks to strong support from a number of states, underscoring the urgent need for a clear roadmap in such cases of seafarer detainment.
For more information on our work to support seafarers please visit our page dedicated to Seafarer issues.
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