Ghana has begun preparations for the implementation of the Maritime and Related Offences Bill, 2026, with stakeholders meeting to examine the proposed legislation and its implications for maritime law enforcement.
A two day stakeholder sensitisation workshop on the Bill opened at the Accra City Hotel last Wednesday.
The workshop, organised by the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Union (EU), was held under the theme, “Enhancing Maritime Security in Africa: Safe Seas for Africa.”
It brought together officials from the GMA, Ministry of Transport, Ghana Navy, Ghana Air Force, Marine Police, Attorney General’s Department and other institutions within the criminal justice system.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Transport, Mr William Kartey, who delivered the welcome address on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Mr Joseph Bukari Nikpe, said the Ministry was taking steps to position Ghana as a maritime hub in the sub region.
He said achieving that objective required Ghana’s maritime laws to be brought in line with international laws governing maritime activities.
Mr Kartey congratulated the EU, UNODC and the GMA for organising the workshop.
Stakeholders prepare for implementation
The Deputy Director General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Mr Mubarick Masawudu, said the new Bill would provide a stronger legal basis for dealing with maritime crimes.
He said the maritime sector was an important part of Ghana’s economy but faced threats such as piracy, armed robbery at sea, trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime.
“The Bill represents a significant milestone in Ghana’s efforts to strengthen its legal and institutional framework for combating maritime crime,” Mr Masawudu said.
He said the proposed law would provide law enforcement agencies with clearer legal provisions to investigate and prosecute maritime crimes.
“This Bill addresses these challenges by providing clarity, certainty, and modern legal tools for the suppression of maritime crime,” he said.
Mr Masawudu said the Bill had been passed by Parliament and was awaiting presidential assent, adding that early engagement with stakeholders was necessary to prepare them for its implementation.
Bill targets maritime crimes
Speaking on behalf of the European Union, Mr Jean Pierre Bardoul, Programme Officer at the Governance Section, said maritime law enforcement agencies in the Gulf of Guinea were being supported through the Safe Seas for Africa project, with assistance from the EU and UNODC.
He said the project sought to prevent, investigate and prosecute piracy and other maritime crimes, including drug trafficking.
Mr Bardoul said the Bill provided for alignment with relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
He said the legislation would also provide local courts with clearer jurisdiction over maritime offences and help address some of the difficulties that had affected the prosecution of such cases.
UNODC backs legal reforms
Representing the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Professor Martha Chantel Ribero said the workshop marked another stage in the organisation’s support for Ghana’s criminal justice system.
She said the UNODC was providing technical assistance for Ghana’s legal reform efforts through the Safe Seas for Africa project.
Professor Ribero described Ghana’s legal reform efforts as “commendable and a positive step in the right direction”.
She said the workshop would examine efforts to criminalise and deter maritime crime, discuss the international and regional laws underpinning the Bill and consider measures needed to promote safe and secure shipping for national economic development.
“On our part at the UNODC, we remain committed in further supporting the criminal justice sector of Ghana in strengthening the rule of law through improved legislation, with the overall aim of tackling maritime crime,” she said.
