Protecting seafarers against criminalization: what more can be done?

• Mr Arsenio Dominguez, IMO Secretary-General 
  

• Ms Corinne Vargha, ILO Director, International Labour Standards Department
  

10:15 – 11:00hrs - Session 1: Interview session: Criminalization of Seafarers – smuggling of illegal narcotics

10:15hrs - A seafarer’s personal experience of criminalization at sea: the smuggling of illegal narcotics

• Mr Mithun Deshpande - An officer who served on the M.T. RIAH
  

• Mr Suresh Prabhakar - The Director of Operations at Pacific Basin Shipping Limited 
  

10:45hrs - Questions & Answers

11:00 – 11:30hrs - Coffee break

11:30 – 12:30hrs -  Session 2: Criminalization of Seafarers – a logistics and supply chain perspective

• Ms Lisa Lewis - Security & Sustainability Director at Port of Plymouth - The ports’ perspective 
  

• Mr Nicholas Tabori - Director of U.S. Regulatory Affairs at the World Shipping Council - The supply chain’s perspective
  

• Mr Ravi Muthusamy - Group General Counsel at X-Press Feeders - The shipowners’ perspective
  

12:15hrs - Round table discussion/ Questions & Answers – what more can be done from a logistics and supply chain perspective

12:30 – 14:00hrs - Lunch
 
14:00 – 16:00hrs - Session 3: Criminalisation of Seafarers – the IMO/ILO Fair Treatment Guidelines & roles of the insurer and judiciary

• Mr Jan De Boer - Senior Legal Officer, IMO - The IMO/ILO Guidelines on Fair Treatment of Seafarers – key principles to be applied 
  

• Ms Anyes Nauwelaerts - A State’s experience of application of the Fair Treatment Guidelines 
  

• Ms Ruby Hassan - The role of insurers in criminalisation of seafarer cases 
  

• Ms Maya Abi Adam - Understanding the UNODC/Judiciary Drugs related training programmes 
  

• Mr Arsenio Dominguez, IMO Secretary-General 
  

• Ms Corinne Vargha, ILO Director 

• Mr Guy Platten, Former ICS Secretary-General

• Mr Stephen Cotton, ITF General Secretary
  

Round table Discussion and Questions & Answers

17:15hrs - Reception in IMO Delegates Lounge

Participation and Registration

In-person attendance will be limited to representatives from Member States, observer organizations (both intergovernmental and non-governmental) and the United Nations and its specialized agencies. 

Delegates intending to participate are kindly requested to register via the Online Meeting Registration System (OMRS) by Monday, 15 June 2025.

More information about how to register here.

IMO/ILO work on seafarer issues

The rights of seafarers have been a top priority for IMO and the International Labour Organization (ILO) for many decades. 

To address this issue, IMO has established joint working groups with the International Labour Organization (ILO). The Joint ILO/IMO Tripartite Working Group (JTWG) was established in 2022 to Identify and Address Seafarers' Issues and the Human Element (JTWG). 

The Joint ILO–IMO Tripartite Working Group met in Geneva (26–28 Nov 2024) and adopted Guidelines on Fair Treatment of Seafarers detained for alleged crimes. These will now be submitted for adoption to the IMO Legal Committee (24 March 2025) and the ILO Governing Body.

The objective of these Guidelines is to ensure that the human rights and legitimate interests of seafarers involved in alleged crimes are recognized, that seafarers detained in connection with alleged crimes are treated fairly by public authorities, and that investigation or detention is for no longer than necessary, in accordance with the laws of the port or coastal States. The Guidelines contain guidance for port States, flag States, coastal States, States of which the seafarer is a national, shipowners and seafarers.