By
Rebecca Gibson |
The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Legal Committee has adopted a proposal on international standards for crime reporting, cooperation between governments, evidence preservation and care for victims.
The proposal was first raised by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in 2011 and was supported by the UK, the US, the International Federation of Shipmaster’s Associations, and the International Association of Airport and Seaport Police. The IMO Legal Committee will submit the standards to the IMO Assembly as an Assembly Resolution at its November biennial meeting.
The standards include many elements of the US’ Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) of 2010, which has been implemented by CLIA’s members sailing to or from US ports.
The CVSSA laws protect cruise ship passengers, requiring ships sailing to and from US ports to report all allegations of serious crime, suspicious deaths or missing US nationals directly to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
Under the directives, vessels must have video surveillance systems to assist with evidence, while crew members must be trained to prevent, detect and report crime, as well as preserve evidence.
The CVSSA also requires medical staff to have three years of clinical practice in general, family, emergency medicine, emergency board certification or internal medicine. They are required to undergo training, which meets the American College of Emergency Physicians guidelines related to treatment and care of victims of sexual assault.
The IMO’s international standards complement the CVSSA and promote cooperation between governments, law enforcement and affected parties. They include templates for witness statements and detailed instructions on the recovery, packaging, identification and labelling of different types of evidence.
“We commend the IMO Legal Committee for adopting these standards,” said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA. “A global standard will strengthen the collaboration among cruise lines, local and national law enforcement agencies and provide a truly comprehensive response to prevention and reporting. We are particularly grateful to the UK in working to bring this proposal to a successful conclusion.”
CLIA has already adopted a mandatory Member Policy on the Reporting of Crimes and Missing Persons to ensure serious crimes are officially and promptly reported to local law enforcement with jurisdiction depending on the location of the ship, as well as the ship’s flag state.