The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union (EU) have signed an agreement to launch Safe Horizons, an ambitious project aimed at promoting zero tolerance for violence and harassment within the maritime sector.
The Safe Horizons initiative is designed as a seed project to establish foundational measures that will help maritime sector prevent and address any form of violence and harassment at sea. This includes, but is not limited to, bullying, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. The project is fully aligned with IMO's commitment to safe and secure working environments and complementary to ILO's labour standards.
Project Objectives
The project supports capacity-building and experience sharing, with no compliance or assessment components and is structured to develop and implement scalable actions across the industry to ensure safer, more inclusive working environments. Key objectives include:
Promoting a Zero-Tolerance Culture: Fostering a shift in industry mindset toward comprehensive rejection of violence and harassment.
Establishing Stronger Regulatory Frameworks: Supporting target countries in voluntary national efforts to strengthen policies, where requested by Member States, and consistent with national frameworks and policies related to on-board conduct.
Improving Training and Awareness: Enhancing educational resources for seafarers and maritime stakeholders to better identify, prevent, and respond to incidents.
The project leverages updated IMO training materials and involves direct collaboration with target countries to build capacity, share best practices, and advance safe working environments across the global maritime sector.
Scope and Funding
The global project is implemented by IMO with financial support from the EU. The EU has committed 2 million Euros to support the project.
