喜馬拉雅條款(HimalayaClause),又稱“分立契約、賠償以及抗辯、免責事項及責任限制條款”，(Sub-contracting, Indemnity and Certain Defenses, Exemptions and Limitations Clause),源自1953年英國"阿德勒訴狄克遜"一案。該案中，阿德勒夫人是一名游客，在搭乘P&O公司的一艘名為喜馬拉雅號游輪時，于下船時因舷梯斷裂而摔傷，由于阿德勒夫人持有的船票上載有承運人的疏忽免責條款，故阿德勒夫人轉而以侵權行為對船長和水手提起訴訟。
船長和水手認為，作為船公司的雇員，他們有權享受船票上關于承運人免責的規(guī)定。法院判決認為，船票上的免責條款是船公司和乘客之間簽訂的，有權援引該條款的只能是該契約的當事人。作為船公司的雇傭人員無權享受不是由他簽訂的合同中免責條款的權利，結果是阿德勒夫人勝訴�，F(xiàn)在，船公司為了避免此類事件的發(fā)生，通常會在合同中增加一條款，明確規(guī)定承運人的免責和限制賠償金額的權利同樣適用于雇傭人員和代理人，這就是所謂的喜馬拉雅條款。《維斯比規(guī)則》和《漢堡規(guī)則》都承認了喜馬拉雅條款的合法性。
《維斯比規(guī)則》第3條第2款對此作了明確規(guī)定：“如果這種訴訟是對承運人的雇傭人或代理人（該雇傭人或代理人不是獨立的訂約人）所提起，該雇傭人或代理人便有權適用承運人按照《海牙規(guī)則》的各項抗辯或責任限制的規(guī)定。”
 
例：喜瑪拉雅條款Himalaya Clause
本合同規(guī)定的有利于打撈方或公司的全部例外、豁免、辯護、免除、責任限制、賠償、優(yōu)惠和條件將同樣適用于打撈方或公司各自的分包人、經(jīng)營人，船東(如果公司是光船承租人)、船長、高級船員和船員；也適用于各自的母公司、子公司、分公司或與其在同一管理下的所有法人團體，以及團體中的全部董事、高級職員、工作人員和代理人；也適用于代表雙方實行合同的所有工作人員，代理人和分包人。打撈方或公司應充當上述人員、實體和船舶的代理人或受托人，并代表他們的利益，但目的僅限于為了將利益擴大給上述人員、實體和船舶。
All exceptions, exemptions, defenses, immunities, limitations of liability, indemnities, privileges and conditions provided by this Agreement for the benefit of the Contractor or the Company shall also apply to their respective sub-contractors, operators, the Vessel's owners (if the Company is the demise/bareboat charterer), masters, officers and crews and to all bodies corporate parent of, subsidiary to, affiliated with or under the same management as either of them, as well as all directors, officers, servants and agents of the same and to all parties performing services within the scope of this Agreement for or on behalf of the Contractor or the Company as servants, agents and sub-contractors of such parties． The Contractor or the Company shall be deemed to be acting as agent or trustee of and for the benefit of all such persons, entities and vessels set forth above but only for the limited purpose of contracting for the extension of such benefits to such persons, bodies and vessels．
 
國際保賠協(xié)會集團（IG）和波羅的海國際航運公會(BIMCO)修訂并審查了用于提單和其他運輸合同中的喜馬拉雅條款(Himalaya clause)。協(xié)會審核了相關條款的措辭，并且建議會員修改有關的運輸合同，并入該新條款。
喜馬拉雅條款是在合同中賦予非合同方以利益的條款。在運輸合同（例如提單）中，該利益是指盡可能免除運輸合同承運人所雇傭的受雇人、代理人和獨立合同人對合同的相對方（例如托運人、收貨人、提單持有人）所承擔的責任或者使其享有承運人所享有的抗辯權利。
 
國際保賠協(xié)會集團（IG）和波羅的海國際航運公會(BIMCO)修訂的
喜馬拉雅條款Himalaya Clause (全文)
 
(a) It is hereby expressly agreed that no servant, agent, direct or indirect subcontractor or other party employed by or on behalf of the Carrier, or whose services or equipment have been used in order to perform this contract (such persons so employed, or whose services or equipment have been used, hereinafter termed “Servant”) shall in any circumstances whatsoever be under any liability whatsoever to the shipper, consignee, receiver or other party to this contract (hereinafter termed “Merchant”) for any loss, damage or delay of whatsoever kind arising or resulting directly or indirectly from any act, neglect or default on the Servant’s part while acting in the course of or in connection with the performance of this contract.
在此明確同意，承運人的受雇人、代理人，直接或者間接分合同人，由承運人雇傭或代表承運人利益行事的其他人，或者其服務或設備被使用以履行本合同的人（這些被雇傭的人，或其服務或設備被使用的人以下稱為”受雇人”）在任何情況下對于其直接或者間接的行為、疏忽或過失所導致的托運人、收貨人、提貨人或本合同下的其他相關方（以下稱為“貨方”）所遭受的任何貨物滅失、損壞以及遲延交付都不承擔任何責任；
 
(b) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions in this clause, every exemption, limitation, condition and liberty contained herein (other than Art III Rule 8 of the Hague/Hague-Visby Rules if incorporated herein) and every right, exemption from liability, defence and immunity of whatsoever nature applicable to the Carrier or to which the Carrier is entitled hereunder including the right to enforce any jurisdiction or arbitration provision contained herein shall also be available and shall extend to every such Servant , who shall be entitled to enforce the same against the Merchant.
在不影響前述規(guī)定的情況下，合同規(guī)定的任何免責、限制、條件和自由（不包括海牙/海牙-維斯比規(guī)則第三條第八款，如果其已并入），以及承運人所享有的任何權利、免責、抗辯和豁免，包括執(zhí)行合同中任何管轄權或仲裁條款的權利都被賦予這些“受雇人”以對抗貨方；
 
(c)
(i) The Merchant undertakes that no claim or allegation whether arising in contract, bailment, tort or otherwise shall be made against any Servant which imposes or attempts to impose upon any of them or any vessel owned or chartered by any of them any liability whatsoever in connection with this contract whether or not arising out of negligence on the part of such Servant. The Servant shall also be entitled to enforce the foregoing covenant against the Merchant; and
貨方保證無論是否由于“受雇人”的疏忽，都不能以合同、托管、侵權或者其他理由向或試圖向“受雇人”或他們擁有/租用的船舶，就與運輸合同有關的貨物運輸責任提出索賠或者據(jù)稱的索賠；“受雇人”也有權以上述約定進行抗辯。
 
(ii) The Merchant undertakes that if any such claim or allegation should nevertheless be made, he will indemnify the Carrier against all consequences thereof.
貨方保證一旦提出索賠或者據(jù)稱的索賠，貨方將補償承運人由此產(chǎn)生的一切損失；
 
(d) For the purpose of sub-paragraphs (a)-(d) of this clause the Carrier is or shall be deemed to be acting as agent or trustee on behalf of and for the benefit of the Servant who shall to this extent be or be deemed to be a party to this contract.
在本條(a)-(d)款中，承運人是或者應被視為是代表“受雇人”或為“受雇人”利益而行事的代理人或受托人，“受雇人”在此情況下是或者應被視為是本運輸合同的一方當事人。