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“ “I see WMU as charting the course for a better world. Providing the best education and research facilities for post graduate studies and capacity building for a sustainable maritime industry.”

Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry

President, World Maritime University “I’ve always had a passion for maritime and that sought to serve the same purpose. “We had too

To say that Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry the shipping environment,” said Dr. Cleopatra many instruments that were unevenly rati? ed and is passionate about all matters surround-

Doumbia-Henry, who completed her doctoral the- implemented and thus had reduced impact,” she sis on the carriage of dangerous goods by sea “at succinctly summarized.

ing maritime and seafarers is a bit of an the time it was a very unusual topic to choose. I “So I began a major exercise in engaging gov- understatement. Prior to taking the helm was looking at lawmaking by international organi- ernments, employers (shipowners) and trade as president of the World Maritime Uni- zations and the resultant impact.” unions (representing seafarers) to look at making

The topic, which she admits was a bit esoteric this body of international legislation more effec- versity (WMU) two years ago, she served when it was researched and written, was her effort tive,” she said. This “long haul” started in 2000 as the Director of the International Labor to ? nd a niche to add value to the existing safety and ended with the adoption six years later of a at sea discussion of the time. “I thought it could single Convention, MLC, 2006, that effectively

Standards Department of the International have a signi? cant impact, particularly when you replaced 68 international legal instruments.

Labor Of? ce (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland, look at the amount of goods carried by sea, and the Dr. Doumbia-Henry is justi? ably proud of the amount of goods that are considered dangerous,” effort, not only for what it means to the world’s responsible for developing the Maritime she said. “It was another way to look at the impact 1.2 million seafarers, but from the universal buy-

Labor Convention, 2006. Maritime Re- on the oceans, and through this I got to know the in with rati? cation by 84 countries including all of

International Maritime Organization much better.” the major ship registries covering approximately porter & Engineering News was at WMU in 91% of the world’s ships. “This ended up being

Malmö in late June 2017 to sign a Memo- an incredible enterprise, but one that has been my

MLC, 2006 randum of Understanding with WMU and

Following her studies, Dr. Doumbia-Henry most rewarding venture. It took a lot of energy, a joined the International Labor Organization (ILO) lot of sleepless nights, but at the end of the day it

Marine Learning Systems to jointly produce as a commercial lawyer, and courtesy of her mari- worked.” a benchmark study on global maritime train- time background, she became the de facto “mari- The intensity of the exercise was not only to time” lawyer at ILO. As history suggests, a fortu- bring all 68 legal instruments together under one ing practices and trends. Dr. Doumbia-Hen- itous choice by both ILO and Dr. Doumbia-Henry, umbrella, but to give it teeth. ry discusses the future course of WMU and as she served as the architect of one of the most “The most important thing was to get owner- sweeping instruments to meaningfully impact the ship, because with ownership everyone feels they the importance of the coming survey..

seafarers’ work and personal lives – MLC, 2006. are part of the deal and they are going to make it

MLC, 2006 was painstakingly built over a period work,” said Dr. Doumbia-Henry. “The idea was to of six years, and before it there were 72 separate get an instrument that was better, that was more

BY GREG TRAUTHWEIN instruments – binding ones and non-binding ones– effective and that would have an impact on the www.marinelink.com 35

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