At the one-day conference “Protecting Seafarers Against Criminalisation: What More Can Be Done?”, co-hosted by the IMO, ILO, ICS, and ITF, the spotlight was on the newly adopted Guidelines on the Fair Treatment of Seafarers Detained in Connection with Alleged Crimes. These guidelines reflect years of joint effort at the IMO and ILO, and SCI was honoured to have contributed to their development.
The conference explored growing concerns about the criminalisation of seafarers and proposed potential solutions. Among the ideas discussed were creating a tracking system for criminalisation cases, similar to current mechanisms used for abandonment and launching independent investigations when seafarers allege mistreatment during legal proceedings. Although no firm consensus was reached, largely due to implementation challenges, there was clear agreement on the need for ongoing international cooperation.
Following the conference, the IMO Maritime Safety Committee held a meeting, where several key matters affecting seafarers were on the agenda. These included:
- Addressing the human element in the development of autonomous vessels, particularly in terms of training and safety requirements.
- Enhancing shipboard security in light of piracy and cybersecurity threats;
- Improving ship design to ensure safer escape routes from lower machinery spaces;
- Developing prevention strategies for falls from height; and
- Promoting human-centred design in vessel architecture.
One issue of particular concern was seafarer fatigue, a persistent challenge tied to work hours, rest periods, and safe manning levels. Although there was a limited discussion on this topic during an earlier ILO meeting in April 2025, it was encouraging to see it receive greater attention at the IMO session. Fatigue directly affects both safety and well-being at sea, and SCI, along with others in this field, sees it as a critical area for continued advocacy. CMA is committed to making it a central focus of our future policy work.
