An anti-corruption clause for shipping contracts worldwide – launched last week by international shipping association Baltic and International Maritime Council (Bimco) – will give owners and charterers a contractual platform for cooperative action towards resisting demands for illegal payments.
Bimco secretary general, Angus Frew, said in a statement that that the shipping association “recognises the importance of a united approach by the shipping industry towards stamping out corruption in the ports and places where the world’s merchant fleet trades”.
The clause is entirely voluntary and provides a clearly worded framework for parties who want to combat corruption, he added, noting that it functionedwithin the local law of a ship’s location.