The International Maritime Organization, IMO, is underway with a requirement that private security firms continue to be ISO certified.
It seems to be the result of the efforts of IMO's efforts to clean up the market for private security companies selling protection to piracy threatened merchant ships in the area off Somalia.
Pirates' criminal activities have meant that the number of private security firms have grown over the past year. This has led to a situation where individual companies are responsible for the security of crews, ships and cargoes.
"We obviously support IMO's thoughts on an ISO standard. It is gratifying that the international community takes hold on this and moves quickly, rather than that the individual country authorities would have to make their own certification schemes," says Deputy Director of the Danish Shipowners' Association, Jan Fritz Hansen.
Source: The Danish Maritime Magazine
