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News

April 2022

  1. © Bernard Spragg. NZ 2022

    Maritime Labour Convention, 2006

    Maritime Labour Convention reaches 100th ratification

    11 April 2022

    By reaching this milestone, the Maritime Labour Convention provides the shipping industry with globally recognized standards that cover more than 96 per cent of the world’s shipping.

February 2022

  1. © IFA teched 2022

    COVID-19

    Efforts to limit the effects of Omicron on seafarers must be scaled up, UN agencies say

    28 February 2022

    Access to vaccines, COVID tests, health documents and personal protective equipment (PPE) must be improved, say ILO, IMO, UNCTAD and WHO.

October 2021

  1. © ILO 2022

    Occupational safety and health

    Seafarers desperately need prompt access to medical care say ILO and International Maritime Organization

    06 October 2021

    With hundreds of thousands of seafarers unable to disembark due to COVID-19 restrictions, a joint statement issued by the two organizations says the issue of medical care for seafarers is ‘a matter of life or death’.

June 2021

  1. Day of the Seafarer

    A fair future for seafarers key to shipping’s recovery

    25 June 2021

    Hundreds of thousands of seafarers are still unable to join and leave their vessels due to restrictions put in place to contain COVID-19. It is critical to respect the rights of seafarers, as set out in maritime law, and ensure seafarers have a fair and sustainable future. #FairFuture4Seafarers

  2. World Oceans Day

    To protect the oceans, we must promote decent work

    08 June 2021

    Millions of people depend directly on the sea for their livelihoods and hundreds of millions more rely on them for food. Exploitation and poor standards, whether environmental or labour, pose a threat both to the sustainability of the oceans and the wellbeing of humanity.

May 2021

  1. © UN 2022

    United Nations Global Compact

    UN leaders urge companies relying on shipping supply chains to undertake urgent measures to protect seafarers’ rights

    06 May 2021

    New due diligence tool aims to help businesses uphold their responsibility to protect human rights at sea, as new COVID variants threaten to further delay crew changes.

April 2021

  1. © ILO 2022

    Fourth Meeting of the Special Tripartite Committee of the Maritime Labour Convention

    The ILO calls for full respect of seafarers’ rights and for the vaccination of seafarers

    29 April 2021

    Seafarers need COVID-19 vaccinations, wherever they are, to avoid delays and disruption in supply chains.

March 2021

  1. © Marc A. Hermann / MTA 2022

    COVID-19 and maritime and air transport

    Seafarers and aircrew need priority COVID-19 vaccination

    26 March 2021

    UN organizations issue joint call for seafarers and aircrew to be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination.

December 2020

  1. © Cai Yang / Xinhua via AFP 2022

    Maritime Labour Convention

    ILO Governing Body calls for urgent action on seafarer COVID-19 crisis

    08 December 2020

    Its resolution addresses the plight of hundreds of thousands of seafarers who have been trapped at sea for as many as 17 months or longer because of pandemic restrictions.

September 2020

  1. COVID-19: Protecting workers in the workplace

    End the plight of stranded seafarers

    24 September 2020

    COVID-19 containment measures, travel restrictions and border closures, continue to make it increasingly difficult for ship operators worldwide to conduct required crew changes. The ILO, shipowners’ and seafarers’ organizations and UN bodies call to end the plight of seafarers and to fully respect seafarers’ rights.