IMO guidance sketches out rules of engagement for shipboard armed guards

THE UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has issued guidance on the management, types of weapons, ammunition, insurance and rules of engagement agreed between the shipowner, the master and security contractor on ships in pirate infested waters off Somalia and the Indian Ocean.


The IMO safety committee outlined the use of guards for a flag state after it had exhausted defensive measures under the rubric of "best practice", such as stringing barbed razor wire around the gunwales, evasive tactics and the use of water cannon and sound guns, reported London's International Freighting Weekly, which added that the guidance does not institutionalise or address legal issues.


The IMO said that any laws and regulations of the flag state, port and coastal states law also apply to the use of onboard security. "A flag state should take into account the possible escalation of violence which could result from the use of firearms and carriage of armed personnel on board ships when deciding on its policy," it added.


A review of the MSC interim recommendations will take place in September by a working group on maritime security and piracy.
(Source:http://www.schednet.com)