Page 12: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2020)

2020 Trends: The Seafarer

Seafarers Are Key Workers

It’s “All Hands on Deck” @ WMU to Solve the Seafarer Crisis

Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President, World Maritime University, discussed the ongoing seafarer crisis plus the new report from WMU, A Culture of Adjustment, which outlines system- ic failures in the implementation of the regulatory regime for seafarers’ work and rest hours.

By Greg Trauthwein earch as you like, but you will be hard-pressed to ? nd change dif? culties and this can only have a detrimental effect anyone as passionate about all matters surrounding on ship safety and on the supply chain, the longer the situation maritime and seafarers than Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia- continues.”

SHenry. Prior to taking the helm as president of the While the resolution is a step in the right direction, the key

World Maritime University (WMU) six years ago, she served word is ‘encouraged’ as the U.N. does not have the ability to as the Director of the International Labor Standards Depart- mandate action, though it can add political pressure.

ment of the International Labor Of? ce (ILO) in Geneva, Swit- “Shipping is indispensable to world trade, it is indispensable zerland, responsible for developing the Maritime Labor Con- to the daily lives of people,” said Dr. Doumbia-Henry. “This vention, 2006. That makes the current COVID-19 induced is a wake-up call about the important role that seafarers play.” seafarer crisis even more topical and personal, as nearly half a million seafarers remain stranded at sea, far beyond the expi- It’s “All Hands on Deck” @ WMU ration of their contracts, with no global consensus to allow for The World Maritime University was created in 1983 after ef? cient maritime crew changes and transfers. the IMO recognized within IMO that there was a shortage of “Seafarers are key workers, they are essential to keep global well-quali? ed, highly educated maritime experts, particularly commerce running,” to ensure food and fuel is delivered when in lesser developed nations. To that end, WMU graduates are and where it is needed, Dr. Doumbia-Henry said in a recent in- spread around the world, many occcupying top spots in their terview with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News. “There respective country’s government and naval organizations, as are a few countries that have taken action (to help enact crew well as maritime, shipping and port industries. It is the depth changes), but we still have the majority of the countries who and breadth of this global alumni that Dr. Doumbia-Henry is have not taken the necessary action.” counting on to provide information and in? uence to help solve

While the situation has been discussed ad nauseum, little the maritime industry’s most pressing matters.

progress has been made to help enact any semblance of nor- “I have written a lot of articles, I have made a lot of speeches mal crew changes. Hopefully this is changing as on December and we all understand the pandemic is having a huge impact” 2, the 193-member U.N. General Assembly urged all coun- said Dr. Doumbia-Henry. “We have to (continue to) dissemi- tries to designate seafarers and other marine personnel as key nate the message, not just by me talking and making a speech, workers, a unanimously adopted resolution which encouraged but by getting our own hands on deck, all our students from governments to ensure safe ship crew changes and travel, al- around the world.” lowing stranded seafarers to be repatriated and others to join To this end, WMU has hosted several webinars with its ships. Welcoming the adoption of the resolution, IMO Secre- graduates to implore them to take action in their individual tary-General Kitack Lim said in a release “Sadly, hundreds home countries or countries of domicile, to bring this matter of thousands of seafarers, who are vital to maintaining sup- to the fore and help to ? nd a solution. “Most WMU students ply chains, remain stranded at sea for months beyond their come from the developing world, said Dr. Doumbia-Henry. contracted time. This is causing immense strain, fatigue and “They are the agents of change that can intervene, to help exhaustion and is unsustainable. This is a human rights issue. bring the seafarer crisis to the minds of leaders and help to

Seafarers’ lives are being made impossible through the crew devise a solution.” 12 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • December 2020

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