A forum for participants of the Montreux Document on pertinent international legal obligations and good practices for states related to operations of private military and security companies during armed conflict.
The Mandate of the Maritime Working Group is to look into the relevance of the Montreux Document to maritime security (see the MDF Working Practices). In this capacity, the Working Group engages with relevant international organizations and initiatives on maritime security and discusses ways to assist States in implementing the MD. The Group is currently chaired by Portugal.
To fulfil its mandate, the Working Group has developed a publication on the maritime application of the Montreux Document, the Reference Document: Elements for a Maritime Interpretation of the Montreux Document. The document is built on extensive consultations with States, International Organisations, the shipping industry, private security companies, civil society and other experts.
Previous Meetings of the Maritime Working Group
12 January 2022
The 8 th exchange of the Working Group on the use of private military and security companies in maritime security (Maritime Working Group) was attended by Montreux Document participants (MD participants), the co-Chairs of the Montreux Document Forum, Switzerland and the ICRC, and the Montreux Document Forum Secretariat, DCAF. The meeting was conducted in an online format, which facilitated the participation of several State representatives from capital. The meeting allowed for an update on the dissemination of the Reference Document – Elements for a maritime interpretation of the Montreux Document (Reference Document).
10 November 2020
On November the 10th 2020, the Working Group on the use of private military and security companies in maritime security (Maritime Working Group) organised the 7th exchange. The meeting was attended by Montreux Document Participants, the co-Chairs of the Montreux Document Forum, Switzerland and the ICRC, and the Montreux Document Forum Secretariat, DCAF. The meeting was conducted in an online format, which facilitated the participation of several State representatives from capital. The meeting allowed for a presentation of and discussion on the fourth draft of the Reference Document – Elements for a maritime interpretation of the Montreux Document.
24 June 2020
On 24 June 2020, the Montreux Document Forum organized the 12th exchange of the Working Group on the International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA Working Group), and the 6th meeting of the Working Group on the use of private military and security companies in maritime security (Maritime Working Group). The meetings constituted the first Montreux Document Forum Working Group meeting in an online format, allowing representatives of Montreux Document Participants to successfully join the meeting from the capital. Both meetings were as well attended by the co-Chairs of the Montreux Document Forum, Switzerland, and the ICRC, the Montreux Document Forum Secretariat, DCAF.
The meeting was also attended by Montreux Document Participants, the co-Chairs of the Montreux Document Forum, Switzerland and the ICRC, and the Montreux Document Forum Secretariat, DCAF. The meeting allowed for a presentation of-and discussion on the third draft of the Reference Document – Elements for a maritime interpretation of the Montreux Document.
The deadline to submit comments to the third draft will be extended until the 31st of August 2020.
Download the Chair’s Summary of the meeting
2 September 2019 (5th Meeting)
On 2 September 2019, Montreux Document Participants, the Co-Chairs of the Montreux Document Forum, Switzerland and the ICRC, the MDF Secretariat, DCAF, as well as invited maritime experts gathered in Geneva to attend the 5th Meeting of the Maritime Working Group. The meeting allowed for a presentation of the second draft of the Reference Document – Elements for a maritime interpretation of the Montreux Document, followed by a discussion among Montreux Document participants.
12 June 2019 (4th Meeting)
The fourth exchange of the Maritime Working Group was attended by Montreux Document Participants, the Co-Chairs of the Montreux Document Forum, Switzerland and the ICRC, as well as the MDF Secretariat, DCAF. The meeting allowed for Montreux Document Participants to discuss the first draft of the Reference Document – Elements for a maritime interpretation of the Montreux Document and to learn from expert presentations situating the context of the document. The opening remarks were held by Mateus Kowalski, representing Portugal as the current Chair of the Working Group. The Chair extended a special welcome to the newest participant to the Montreux Document, Montenegro, as well as the expert speakers, Bruno Demeyere, Legal Advisor at ICRC and Anaïs Laigle, Project Officer at ICoCA.
29 November 2018 (3rd Meeting)
The third exchange of the Maritime Working Group was attended by Montreux Document Participants, the Co-Chairs of the Montreux Document Forum – Switzerland and the ICRC, the Secretariat and a Representor of the International Code of Conduct Association. The meeting allowed a first exchange on elements of a Reference Document on the interpretation of the Montreux Document from a Maritime Perspective, followed by a presentation on the International Code of Conduct Association from a maritime perspective. Last, participants were debriefed on a side-event on the Montreux Document held in New York.
The second exchange of the Maritime Working Group was attended by 13 Montreux Document Participants as well as the
6 June 2018 (2nd Meeting)
Secretariat and two guest speakers: Anna Petrig, Professor of Law at the University of Basel and Chris Trelawny, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Maritime Security and Facilitation (Sub-Division for Maritime Security and Facilitation, Maritime Safety Division) at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The focus of the meeting was laid on action points for 2018 and 2019.
30 January 2018 (1st Meeting)
The first meeting of the Working Group on the use of private military and security companies in maritime security (Maritime Working Group) was held on 30 January 2018. The meeting was an opportunity for Montreux Document participants to discuss the strategic priorities and proposed outputs of Chairmanship. Download the Chair's Summary here.
Other useful Documents:
