Amendments to SUA Convention Adopted

The IMO said that amendments to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts (SUA) Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, 1988 and its related Protocol, which provide the legal basis for action to be taken against persons committing unlawful acts against the safety of navigation (and against fixed platforms located on the continental shelf), have been adopted by the Diplomatic Conference on the Revision of the SUA Treaties. Among the changes adopted is a provision making it an offense to use against a ship or discharge from a ship certain weapons in a manner likely to cause death or serious injury or to use a ship in a manner that causes death or serious injury, when the purpose is to intimidate a population or a government. Boarding of ships on the high seas with the cooperation of the flag state is also addressed. The amendments to the SUA Convention will enter into force 90 days after approval by twelve Member States.