BIMCO SEV-GUARDCON for Employment of Security Escort Vessels

Piracy is a big problem in the Gulf of Guinea but local laws and enforcement practices make it difficult for vessels to call at ports in the region with foreign armed guards onboard, and some countries prohibit local armed guards from boarding foreign commercial vessels.

A practice has therefore developed for foreign vessels calling at these ports to arrange, through the agency of private maritime security companies (PMSC), for security escort vessels (SEVs) with local naval armed guards and the PMSC’s liaison officer onboard, to accompany the vessels during the vessels’ calls to this region.  

BIMCO has issued a comprehensive standard form contract for the employment of SEVs and this contract is available for downloading on BIMCO’s website.