At the 42nd session of the International Maritime Organisation’s Facilitation Committee (FAL) in London on June 5-8th, BIMCO has backed a request made by The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) for the IMO and member States to fully recognise the scale of maritime corruption and to take a stand against this type of crime.
MACN is a global business network working towards a corruption free maritime industry that enables fair trade to the benefit of society. The network has submitted a paper to the IMO Committee.  This paper discusses the impact of corruption on society.  Also, the paper shows how corruption acts as a trade barrier and how it hinders social economic growth.
Most importantly, the network has to date made significant progress in tackling corruption.

How to respond to unlawful demands for cash

Supporting this work, BIMCO has advised the IMO about the BIMCO Anti-Corruption Clause for Charter Parties. The clause addresses corruption by providing industry players with a way to respond to unlawful demands for gifts or cash.
“BIMCO supports the push against maritime corruption and can help the industry by offering tool that industry players can use in the fight against unlawful demands and corruption,” says BIMCO Head of Maritime Technology and Regulation, Aron Frank Sorensen.
The BIMCO Anti-Corruption Clause is designed for use in both voyage and time charters.  It sets out a series of steps that contracting parties can follow in co-operation to resist unlawful demands.
Should these steps fail, a number of options are available through the clause, with termination by either party being the ultimate sanction. The termination option has a high threshold.  This is in order to avoid misuse such as an easy way out from an inconvenient charter.
Therefore, recognising the challenges that the industry is facing from corruption, the IMO Committee, member states and organisations have decided to strengthen the work against corruption.  They propose ways to do so, ahead of the next IMO Facilitation Committee meeting.
BIMCO is the world’s largest international shipping association, with 2,100 members in more than 120 countries. Our global membership includes shipowners, operators, managers, brokers and agents.
Credit: BIMCO