The standards set forth below apply to vessels to which the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea 1974 applies. MARAD will amend the EMBARC Standards as soon as practicable to include standards that apply the principles and equivalent procedures of EMBARC to vessels to which the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974 does not apply.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Maritime Administration (MARAD), and USMMA require all U.S.-flag vessel commercial operators to adopt and follow the Every Mariner Builds a Respectful Culture (EMBARC) Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment (SASH) Prevention Mandatory Standards (EMBARC Standards)—a set of policies, programs, procedures, and practices to help strengthen a culture of SASH prevention and support appropriate responses to incidents of sexual violence and sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct. Accession into EMBARC must be completed as a prerequisite before U.S.-flag vessel commercial operators will be authorized to employ USMMA students as cadets aboard their vessels.

These EMBARC Standards replace earlier commitments made by vessel operators to comply with sea-year eligibility requirements previously established by MARAD’s Shipboard Climate Compliance Team (SCCT) incident to their employment of USMMA students as cadets aboard their vessels.

DOT, MARAD, and USMMA are committed to ongoing evaluation and improvement of these standards and will incorporate emerging best practices and engage closely and regularly with all stakeholders, including cadets from USMMA, to assess implementation and discuss options to further strengthen the EMBARC program.