IMO Approves New Ship Registration Transparency Rules

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has introduced new guidance intended to increase transparency in ship registration and address the rising misuse of vessel flags.

These measures were agreed during the IMO Legal Committee’s 113th session in London. Their purpose is to improve due diligence, strengthen oversight of ship registries, and ensure that records of vessel ownership are accurate. The decision follows a noticeable increase in fraudulent registrations and operations involving so called “false flags.”

IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez highlighted the importance of this step, stating: “This is a welcome step towards ensuring due diligence in ship registration systems for the benefit of safety, protection of the marine environment and the well-being of seafarers.”

Although the guidelines are not mandatory, they are intended to address a long-standing gap in regulation. At present, there is no unified global system governing ship registration. Instead, the guidance offers practical advice to flag states on verification procedures, ownership checks, and the sharing of information.

Recent data presented to the committee has emphasized the scale of the issue. In the past year alone, 529 vessels were identified as falsely flying a nation’s flag. In addition, almost 40 IMO member states reported that criminal groups had misused their registries without their awareness.

The new framework aims to strengthen controls over who is permitted to carry out registrations, improve quality assurance processes, and introduce more robust checks on vessel identity and eligibility.