IMO behind efforts to create ‘safe corridor’ through Strait of Hormuz

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is behind efforts to create a framework for the establishment of a ‘safe corridor’ through the Strait of Hormuz to facilitate the evacuation of commercial ships and protect seafarers who have been stranded in the Persian Gulf since the beginning of the military conflict between Israel and the US and Iran.

It follows a two-day emergency meeting of the UN shipping body’s council in London to discuss the conflict, which has impacted approximately 20,000 seafarers on more than 2,000 ships, currently located west of the Strait.

However, very little detail was disclosed on how this ‘safe corridor’ would work in practice, such as how its boundaries should be defined and the mechanisms to be used to ensure its safety and recognition by all parties involved. Also, how soon can it be operational?

Moreover, initial comments from Iran’s delegate to the IMO have cast serious doubt on whether the Islamic Republic would cooperate towards creating a safe corridor.

‘Framework to Protect the Lives of Seafarers’

When hostilities erupted on February 28, Iran's Revolutionary Guards

issued a threat to open fire on any vessels trying to cross the Strait – a key artery not only for oil and gas tankers but for all types of vessels, including container ships – which brought traffic to a near-standstill and which, almost three weeks on, is still the case.

To date, some 17 vessels are reported to have been attacked, resulting in the deaths of at least seven seafarers.

In a 17-point declaration that followed the emergency meeting, the IMO

said the framework aimed to protect the lives of seafarers and mobilize trapped ships.

The IMO Council "strongly condemned the threats and attacks against vessels and purported closure of the Strait... by Iran, adversely affecting merchant and commercial vessels,” and called on the regime to “immediately refrain” from such action.

Iran’s delegate to the IMO slammed the declaration, describing it as "one-sided, unfair, inaccurate, and legally deficient.

"It condemns the victim state while disregarding the unlawful aggression that is the root cause of the present situation," the delegate added, who went on to accuse the IMO of “politicization.”

Speaking at a media conference yesterday, March 19, just after the closure of the extraordinary session, IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said the IMO’s declaration had given him a remit to collaborate with the relevant parties and take necessary immediate action to initiate the establishment of a framework that allowed the safe passage of vessels through the Strait.

“I will be working with my team, with all the UN agencies, with the member states as well, and with the industry. But my first point of contact will be all the countries in the region in order to start the conversations on how such kind of evacuation routes can be put in place.

“We know the technical mechanisms of how to put routing measures in place for ships to evacuate. We need to look into the different ships that we have there (in the Strait), how long they've been there, and what was the last time that they received supplies, for us to look as well at any prioritization. This is not about bringing all the ships out in one go in one day. We’re talking about a Strait. around 30 kilometers wide. So, the safety of navigation is paramount because, with any measure that we put in place, we don't want to increase the risk to the seafarers,” he explained.

Ceasefire Required

Dominguez underlined that the IMO did not deal with geopolitical situations and conflicts and their root causes. Merchant ships’ role was to facilitate trade around the world for the benefit of everyone.

However, any political situation that hurt the IMO and, in particular, on seafarers, was something that the maritime agency needed to address and make its voice heard.

“We need a ceasefire and de-escalation. We need the conflict to come to an end and for shipping not to be used as collateral damage. And that's why it’s good to see all of these countries working to improve the situation. The diplomacy and negotiations that are bringing the parties to the table to find the solutions that will allow shipping to continue to operate.”

His comments came as six countries, among them the UK, France, Germany, and Japan, expressed readiness "to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”

While not elaborating on what this contribution might entail, they did note that they welcomed "the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.”

Dominguez said he stood by his previous comments on naval escorts not being able to provide merchants with 100% protection through the Strait.

“Naval escorts are not a sustainable long-term solution because ships can still be targeted. It is not a solution that will completely eliminate the stress that seafarers are going through right now.

Crew Rotations

CMA CGM is one ocean shipping line that has vessels effectively blocked from the Persian Gulf.

“We have ships stranded, but we can ensure the rotation of our seafarers and crews as transport links are still operational,” said the group’s EVP Assets and Operations, Christine Cabau, in a recent interview on French radio. “Around ten rotations have been carried out so far.”

CMA CGM is putting psychological support measures in place for its seafarers. “We are doing everything we can to keep morale high while ensuring that the seafarers on board are in regular contact with their families, she added.