Accra, Aug 11, GNA – Ghana is strengthening its legal framework to combat piracy, armed robbery at sea, trafficking and other maritime-related crimes with the implementation of the Maritime and Related Offences Bill, 2026.
The Bill, which has been passed by Parliament and is awaiting Presidential assent, seeks to provide a comprehensive legal regime for the prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of piracy, armed robbery at sea and other maritime offences.
It also seeks to align Ghana’s laws with key provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation and its related protocols.
The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Union (EU), is, therefore, engaging key stakeholders to build a common understanding of the legislation ahead of its implementation.
The engagement formed part of a two-day Stakeholder Sensitisation Workshop on the Maritime and Related Offences Bill, 2026, which opened in Accra on Wednesday, August 5.
It was under the theme: “Enhancing Maritime Security in Africa: Safe Seas for Africa.”
The workshop brought together officials from the Ministry of Transport, GMA, Ghana Navy, Ghana Air Force, Marine Police, Attorney-General’s Department and other institutions within the criminal justice system.
Mr William Kartey, Chief Director of the Ministry of Transport, who delivered a welcome address on behalf of the Minister, said the Ministry was taking steps to position Ghana as a maritime hub in the sub-region.
He said achieving that objective required legislation that was aligned with international legal frameworks governing maritime activities.
Mr Kartey commended the EU, UNODC and GMA for supporting the stakeholder engagement, saying effective implementation of the legislation would require collaboration among the institutions responsible for maritime security and justice.
For his part, Mr Mubarick Masawudu, Deputy Director-General of the GMA, said the maritime sector remained a vital pillar of Ghana’s economy but was increasingly exposed to sophisticated forms of maritime crime.
He cited piracy, armed robbery at sea, trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime as threats requiring a coordinated and effective response.
“The Bill represents a significant milestone in Ghana’s efforts to strengthen its legal and institutional framework for combating maritime crime,” he said.
Mr Masawudu said a robust legal framework was essential for effective investigations, successful prosecutions and coordinated law enforcement.
He said the legislation would provide greater clarity and certainty and equip the relevant institutions with modern legal tools to suppress maritime crime.
Although the Bill was awaiting Presidential assent, he noted that early engagement with stakeholders was necessary to ensure that the institutions responsible for its enforcement were adequately prepared.
Mr Jean-Pierre Bardoul, Programme Officer, Governance Section of the EU, said maritime law enforcement agencies in the Gulf of Guinea were being supported through the Safe Seas for Africa project, implemented with the assistance of the EU and UNODC.
The project, he said, sought to strengthen the capacity of maritime law enforcement agencies to prevent, investigate and prosecute piracy and other maritime crimes, including drug trafficking.
Mr Bardoul said the Bill provided for alignment with important provisions of UNCLOS and would strengthen Ghana’s legal framework for addressing maritime crimes.
He said the alignment would provide local courts with clearer jurisdiction and help address some of the prosecutorial challenges associated with maritime offences.
Professor Martha Chantel Ribero, representing the UNODC, described the workshop as another milestone in the organisation’s engagement with Ghana’s criminal justice system.
She said the UNODC was providing technical support for Ghana’s legal reform efforts through the Safe Seas for Africa project.
Prof Ribero said the country’s efforts to strengthen its maritime legal framework were a positive step towards addressing maritime crime and enhancing the rule of law.
The workshop examined measures to criminalise and deter maritime crime, deepen understanding of the international and regional legal frameworks underpinning the Bill, and considered the requirements for safe and secure shipping to support national economic development.
“On our part at the UNODC, we remain committed to further supporting Ghana’s criminal justice sector in strengthening the rule of law through improved legislation, with the overall aim of tackling maritime crime,” Prof Ribero said.
The stakeholder engagement is expected to enhance institutional understanding of the new legislation and strengthen coordination among agencies involved in Ghana’s maritime security and criminal justice systems.
In addressing the legal gaps, Parliament’s Roads and Transportation Committee, in its report on the Bill, had noted that the absence of a dedicated legal framework on maritime offences had created enforcement and prosecutorial challenges in dealing with piracy and related crimes.
The Committee said the legislation would provide the necessary legal basis for the investigation, arrest, prosecution and punishment of offenders.
The parliamentary report also noted that the Gulf of Guinea had experienced increasing maritime insecurity, including vessel hijackings, kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery at sea and destruction of maritime property.
It said such crimes posed significant threats to maritime trade, regional stability, economic development and the safety of seafarers.
These necessitated stronger legal and institutional framework.
Parliament also considered the legislation important to Ghana’s ambition of becoming a maritime hub in the sub-region, with the Committee noting that closing gaps in maritime law would strengthen trade security and enhance port control.
The Bill was laid in Parliament on March 16, 2026, by Mr Joseph Bukari Nikpe, Minister for Transport.
GNA
Edited by Beatrice Asamani