The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) today announced that the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) agreed to the proposal of the United Kingdom, CLIA, and the Philippines to develop guidelines to address concerns related to alleged serious crimes and persons missing at sea. All 24 delegations that spoke at the IMO meeting on April 18 expressed their appreciation for the proposal and supported it without exception.

Building upon an earlier proposal from CLIA, the United Kingdom led a coalition of government and industry stakeholders in support of the proposal.

Key elements of the proposal include: preservation of evidence; medical and pastoral care for victims; effective and timely reporting to governments; and cooperation between governments with regard to investigations.

The technical work necessary to complete the guidelines will begin immediately and will be led by the United Kingdom working with other member states of the IMO to ensure that the development of guidelines are proportionate for different ship types and without excessive burden to the Master and crew. A crucial element will be consultation and input from CLIA and other organizations with specialized expertise and consultative status within the IMO.