UN maritime agency supports crew change declaration
The International Maritime Organization supports the message and intent behind the industry-initiated Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change.
By Michael McGrady, Maritime Direct Americas Correspondent
Kitack Lim, the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), announced that he welcomes the industry-led Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change.
Lim told international media outlets that the declaration promotes governmental and public cooperation with the industry to end the on-going crew change crisis that has impacted the global shipping segment since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since hundreds of thousands of seafarers cannot disembark from their vessels and others cannot offer relief of any kind, Lim and the IMO secretariat think that the Neptune Declaration outlines the best achievable goals to mitigate this crisis further.
“I am pleased to see the industry come together under the Neptune Declaration to support ways to resolve the crew change crisis,” Lim said. “This very much reflects the calls made by IMO, its sister UN entities and more recently the United Nations General Assembly, in its recent resolution on seafarers.”
“I encourage more companies, including charterers, to get involved and show their support for our seafarers,” Lim said.
The General Assembly ratified a resolution in December supporting the crew change efforts, calling on governments to cooperate with other companies to end the crisis.
