Guideline Call

The Liberian ship registry is urging the IMO to take the lead on establishing international guidelines on the deployment of armed guards on board ships.

Scott Bergeron head of LISCR argues that international guidelines on their deployment are essential and urgently required, and that this should be co-ordinated under the auspices of the IMO.

Liberia has made a submission in this regard its upcoming meeting in May – It is not clear how the Liberian proposal would be managed by the IMO – as even the Recognised Security Organisations as cited under the ISPS Code are left to the individual States to verify. The IMO secretariat seems unlikely to have the capacity or capabilites internally to manage such responsibilites.

Other flag States see things slightly differently and are calling for an independent organisation to be ceded the role, with the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) seen by many as an ideal vehicle to provide a standardisation and vetting for maritime security providers.