The United Nations General Assembly urged governments to designate seafarers and maritime workers as essential workers and to implement relevant measures to enable the repatriation of stranded seafarers and the incorporation of others onto ships, as well as to ensure access to medical care in these difficult times.
In a resolution, approved this Tuesday (01.12.2020), the United Nations recognizes the need for an urgent and concrete response of all the agents involved, including the private sector, to resolve the situation of seafarers stranded at sea because of the pandemic.
Governments and relevant stakeholders are encouraged to implement the protocols approved by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to ensure safe crew changes and travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby enabling the repatriation of stranded seafarers and the incorporation of other persons on ships, taking into account essential COVID-19 preventive measures taken by port States.
«Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of seafarers, who are vital to maintaining supply chains, remain stranded at sea for months beyond their contracted time. This is causing a immense stress, fatigue and exhaustion and it is unsustainable"I hope that this call to action will provide positive momentum towards resolving the crew change crisis," said IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim.
The Secretary-General added: “I thank countries that have already taken steps to designate seafarers as essential workers and all UN agencies and industry partners who have worked tirelessly to find ways to resolve the difficult situation. This is a human rights issue. Seafarers’ lives are being made impossible by the difficulties of crew change and this can only have a detrimental effect on the safety of ships and the supply chain the longer the situation continues.”
The UN resolution calls upon international organizations and other relevant stakeholders, including relevant workers' and employers' organizations, to provide support to Governments, upon request, in developing and implementing their responses and policies aimed at ensuring the integrity and increasing the resilience of global supply chains, decent living and working conditions and the human rights of seafarers.
Vaccination of seafarers
Taking note of the recent positive news regarding the development of COVID-19 vaccinesThe Secretary-General noted that the designation of an essential worker should ensure that seafarers and maritime workers receive priority vaccination, allowing them to work and maintain vital supply chains.
«I hope the essential worker designation will ensure seafarers can be vaccinated quickly."This will help resolve the current crew change crisis," Lim added.
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