IBIA supports development of IMO Guidance to address maritime corruption

IBIA is one of several co-sponsors of submissions to the IMO’s Facilitation Committee (FAL) aimed at addressing maritime corruption. An IMO Correspondence group (CG) is currently considering a draft guidance document for submission to the 45th session (FAL 45) in early June.

The CG has been tasked with developing draft guidance to implement and embrace anti-bribery and anti-corruption practices and procedures, based on the annex to document FAL 44/13, which was discussed at FAL 44 in October 2020. 

The annex to FAL 44/13 contains draft IMO guidance for all stakeholders in the ship/shore interface to implement and embrace anti-corruption practices and procedures. There was support during FAL 44 for approving the annex as interim guidance, but it was not sufficiently clear whether that option was supported. The guidance, following the work in the CG, may be approved at FAL 45

Efforts toward developing IMO guidance on anti-corruption started in 2017, when the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) initiated a cross-industry working group together with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), with the ambition of attracting industry associations to collaborate and address key corruption issues in the maritime industry. 

IBIA is part of this cross-industry effort and has been taking part in working group meetings where the joint submissions to IMO were discussed and developed. Support from several IMO Member States has helped driving the work forward.

A copy of FAL 44/13, containing the draft IMO Guidance to address maritime corruption prepared by the co-sponsors, is available on IBIA’s website.