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Ms Kiran Khosla
Director
Kiran, an English qualified solicitor, is the Principal Legal Director and Secretary of the Maritime Law Committee and the Insurance Committee. She is responsible for the ICS Legal team and advising member associations on legal, insurance and competition related matters affecting shipowners. The Legal team represents ICS on all legal and insurance issues at the IMO and at other UN agencies as well as the UN itself in New York. It is currently focused, amongst other matters, on the negotiations for a new UN convention on protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) and, at the IMO, defending shipowners’ right to limit liability and promoting the fair treatment of seafarers.
Kiran is also the Company Secretary and deals with corporate governance and compliance issues affecting ICS in addition to her work on regulatory matters.
Prior to joining ICS, Kiran worked in private practice with a specialist shipping law firm in London and then at a major IG P&I club, heading the Defence team.
The International Shipping Finance & Law Review 2025/26
The oft-quoted statistic, that over eighty percent of goods are transported by sea, reflects the international shipping industry’s critical role in global trade. This flow of international commerce is powered by our seafarers. Yet the same seafarers who carry out their professional duties at great physical risk to bring us the everyday essentials required to heat our homes, power our industry and feed us, are also most likely to face the sharp end of authorities’ response when the ship is caught up in alleged crimes or a maritime incident – even when such incidents are without the knowledge or culpability of the ship’s crew. Many times, this response results in unjustified detentions of seafarers, or other threats to their dignity and basic human rights. All of these diminishes the confidence of seafarers that their work is valued and that they will be protected from a knee-jerk, politically motivated response. On a broader level, this unfair treatment poses a threat to the sustainability of the industry, as seafarers begin to find it increasingly challenging to remain within the industry.
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the global trade association which represents shipowners, takes the protection of seafarers very seriously. In this respect, I am pleased to report that discussions which commenced some years ago for the development of the Guidelines on Fair Treatment of Seafarers Detained in Connection with Alleged Crimes concluded earlier this year, and the Guidelines have now been approved by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The Guidelines are aimed at protecting the human rights and legitimate interests of seafarers who find themselves involved in incidents involving alleged crimes. They recognise that in such cases, seafarers who might subsequently be detained, must be treated fairly by public authorities (and given access to important rights such as access to legal representation, translators, etc) and that the detention is for no longer than necessary in accordance with the laws of the port/coastal state. It is hoped that with this milestone, the Guidelines will encourage jurisdictions to adopt a more proportionate and lawful treatment of seafarers.
In addition to ICS’s active involvement in the development of the Guidelines, ICS has worked on other initiatives aimed at strengthening the legal environment for seafarers. These include organising an informal forum for discussion between international organisations and relevant sectors within the industry, with the objective of planning and tackling the issue of criminalisation of seafarers and improving the treatment of seafarers in individual cases. One important outcome of this liaison was the symposium organised jointly by ICS, the IMO, ILO and the International Transport Worker’s Federation (ITF), held at the IMO Headquarters in London in June 2025. The aim was to promote the Guidelines (referenced above) and to also explore what else can be done to further ensure the fair treatment of seafarers. The event was notable for the powerful personal testimony of seafarers who had been detained unjustifiably for prolonged periods – leading to a frank exploration of the underlying reasons for the detentions. It was recognised that many judicial systems may lack the expertise to address maritime cases swiftly and fairly, and that detentions often were a result of political imperatives on the part of the coastal state to be seen to be holding ships accountable. There was a consensus that greater coordination between Member States and the industry was essential in the aftermath of a maritime incident, particularly to investigate the incident swiftly so that the seafarers can return home.
Despite the efforts ICS continues to put in towards supporting a fair legal environment that protects the seafarers, it is clear that more work must be done. This has become apparent through cases such as the MV X-press Pearl in 2021, where a fire on board and subsequent sinking of the ship in Sri Lanka, and the resulting environmental damage led to several crew members, including the Captain, being arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities, despite, according to our understanding that all those arrested had followed all safety, emergency and internationally accepted protocols to deal with the incident. The Captain has been under a travel ban and prevented from returning home to India for over four years, even without any formal criminal charges having been laid against him. Such treatment of our seafarers is unacceptable, and this case acts as a reminder that we must continue to do everything we can to protect them.
Beyond addressing the unfair treatment of seafarers, as an industry, we continue to address significant challenges likely to arise from decarbonisation of the industry, autonomous technologies, cyber risks, and the consequences of climate change on shipping routes. ICS is determined that seafarers are a part of the solution to these challenges. The Maritime Just Transition Task Force is an example of ICS’s dedication to ensuring that seafarers are not left behind in the industry’s response to the climate emergency. This task force, set up by ICS and other international organisations, aims to equip seafarers with the skills, education and training needed to operate new technology that accommodate the industry’s aim to become more environmentally sustainable.
In conclusion, the industry continues to present unprecedented challenges, and it is crucial in addressing these that we never compromise the safety or wellbeing of our seafarers. Maintaining this priority will lead to an industry that values its seafarers and one in which seafarers will continue to fulfil their vital role in sustaining the global economy, in a safe and reliable legal environment.
