The Legal Committee of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has adopted new guidelines on ship registration, aimed at strengthening transparency, data verification and due diligence in flag States. The decision was adopted during the Committee’s 113th session, held in London from 13 to 17 April, and constitutes, according to the organisation itself, the first set of international guidelines specifically designed to deter maritime fraud and the misuse of flags.
There is currently no binding international framework specifically regulating ship registration. According to the IMO, the new text will serve as a reference for both existing and newly established registers, with practical measures to strengthen pre-registration checks, improve the accuracy of information on ship ownership and increase oversight of registration procedures.
The approved document covers several areas. These include legislation, governance and oversight regarding who may register a ship; procedures to ensure quality assurance within registries; due diligence regarding ownership and the identification of the ship; checks on its identity and eligibility; and, finally, sources of information and data-sharing mechanisms. The aim is to provide registries with a common framework for action to verify documentation more rigorously and reduce the scope for irregular or fraudulent registrations.
The IMO has warned of an increase in cases of false flagging. The Legal Committee noted that, since its previous session in 2025, 529 ships had been detected sailing fraudulently under a country’s flag. Furthermore, around 40 Member States are reported to have suffered the fraudulent use of their flag by criminal groups, without their knowledge or consent. These figures explain why the organisation has placed the strengthening of registers at the centre of its legal agenda, considering that the lack of uniform controls facilitates such practices.
At the close of the meeting, the Secretary-General of the IMO, Arsenio Domínguez, described the adoption of these guidelines as “a positive step towards ensuring more robust due diligence in ship registration systems”. According to the organisation, their implementation will contribute not only to reducing cases of fraudulent registration, but also to strengthening maritime safety, the protection of the marine environment and the welfare of seafarers.
Although the guidelines do not in themselves create binding legal obligations, they do set an international benchmark that can serve to strengthen control by flag States and close one of the channels used to conceal irregular operations in maritime transport.
News and image obtained: "Asociación de Navieros Españoles"
