IMO and ILO Highlight Growing Issue of Seafarer Criminalization

 

Earlier this month, in my capacity as Director for the Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) Center for Mariner Advocacy (CMA), I had the good fortune to attend two significant international meetings in London, both addressing critical issues concerning the rights and safety of seafarers.

The first was a one-day conference titled “Protecting Seafarers Against Criminalization: What More Can Be Done?”, co-hosted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Labour Organization (ILO), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). The event aimed to highlight and promote the implementation of the newly adopted Guidelines on Fair Treatment of Seafarers Detained in Connection with Alleged Crimes. These guidelines are the result of several years of collaborative work at the IMO and ILO, of which SCI has been privileged to be part of these proceedings and contribute to their development.

The conference addressed the growing concern surrounding the criminalization of seafarers and explored potential mechanisms for better monitoring such cases. One idea under discussion was whether criminalization cases could be tracked in a manner similar to how abandonment cases are currently recorded. Another proposal involved the possibility of initiating independent investigations in instances where seafarers allege unfair treatment in criminal proceedings. While there was strong interest in these ideas, consensus was not reached, acknowledging the practical and logistical challenges of implementation. Nevertheless, there was clear agreement on the need for continued international engagement on this issue.

Following that conference, I participated in the IMO Maritime Safety Committee meeting, where several agenda items that directly impacted seafarers were discussed, 

• The human element in the context of autonomous vessels, including which safety and training considerations must be addressed immediately versus those that can be gradually implemented;
• Shipboard security improvements, especially in response to threats related to piracy and cybersecurity;
• Design enhancements to ensure safer escape routes from lower machinery spaces;
• Prevention strategies for accidental falls from height; and
• The integration of human-centered design principles into vessel architecture.

Of particular concern was the recurring discussion on seafarer fatigue. This topic includes issues such as working hours, rest periods, and appropriate manning levels. While time constraints prevented an in-depth discussion of the issue during a previous ILO session in April 2025, I was glad that it was revisited with a sharper focus at this IMO meeting. Fatigue mitigation is a longstanding challenge with direct implications for both safety and seafarer wellbeing. SCI and all of us who work to support seafarer wellbeing consider this to be one of the most urgent areas for advocacy, and CMA intends to prioritize it as a core element of our future engagement with international maritime policy.

Philip C. Schifflin, Jr., Esq., is Director of the Center for Mariner Advocacy at the Seamen’s Church Institute.