UK P&I Club provides bulletin with latest amendments
BIMCO GUARDCON contract is used for the employment of private maritime security companies (PMSCs) on vessels conforms with club cover and pooling arrangements. GUARDCON has been in existence since 2012 and has become the industry-standard contract for the employment of PMSCs, harmonising terms of engagement and making the process simpler and quicker for shipowners.
GUARDCON was designed with East Africa in mind but since its inception, the shipping industry’s focus has widened to include piracy and other threats to shipping in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa. GUARDCON in its unamended form is not a suitable contract to use for the engagement of PMSCs off West Africa where it is contemplated armed security personnel provided by littoral states will operate alongside unarmed PMSCs. This protection model has evolved in response to the littoral states’ prohibition on the use of armed PMSCs on board vessels in their territorial waters.
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Whilst BIMCO has stated it has no intention of producing an amended version of GUARDCON for use off West Africa, the International Group clubs have produced a version of the contract – called “GUARDCON West Africa” – which incorporates recommended amendments. Further details may be found on GUARDON West Africa- IG recommenden working |
Source: The UK P&I Club
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