5. The COVID-19 seafarer crisis
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A. SEAFARERS CRISIS – RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Shipping and seafarers are vital to global supply chains and the world economy – transporting over
80 per cent of world trade by volume. Around 1.9 million seafarers work to facilitate the way we live,
and during the COVID-19 pandemic seafarers have continued to demonstrate great professionalism and
dedication, helping to deliver food, medical supplies, fuel, and other essential goods, and keep supply
chains active and global commerce running.
Recognizing this, key shipping stakeholders, including international bodies, governments, and industry,
have issued guidance and recommendations to support seafarers during the pandemic.
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The aim is to
ensure that seafarers are protected from COVID-19, are medically t and have access to medical care;
that ships and port facilities meet international sanitary requirements; that seafarers are recognised as key
workers; and that they are vaccinated as a matter of priority.
However, the pandemic has seriously disrupted crew changes. Each month, a large number of seafarers
need to be changed over – to prevent fatigue and to comply with international maritime regulations
for safety, crew health and welfare. Aiming to protect public health, as variants of the virus emerge,
governments are continuing to impose border closures, lockdowns and preventative measures
which include suspending crew changes and prohibiting crews from disembarking at port terminals.
Due to these restrictions, and the shortage of international ights, even one year into the pandemic
hundreds of thousands of seafarers remain stranded at sea, far beyond the expiration of their contracts
(De Beukelaer, 2021). As yet, there is no global consensus on uniform measures that may allow for
efcient crew changes and transfer.
The social partners, international organizations, and industry bodies have expressed concern about this
humanitarian crisis. IMO, ILO, ICS, ITF, and UNCTAD have urged member States to designate seafarers
and other marine personnel as key workers and accept their identity documents as evidence of this
status. They have also asked for greater exibility for ship owners and managers to divert ships and
to call in ports where crew change is possible, without imposing penalties. See IMO 2020a, ITF 2020,
IMO 2020b, and UNCTAD 2020d.
On 1 December 2020, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on ‘International
cooperation to address challenges faced by seafarers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to support
global supply chains’ (A/RES/75/17).
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Indonesia, which supplies much of the maritime labour force,
facilitated the negotiation, supported by UNCTAD, ILO and IMO. Co-sponsored by 71 countries, the
resolution urges member States to designate seafarers and other marine personnel as key workers and
encourages governments and other stakeholders to implement the “Industry recommended framework of
protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic”,
the importance of which was recognized by the Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO (IMO, 2021a).
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The
resolution also calls upon governments to facilitate maritime crew changes by enabling them to embark
and disembark and expediting travel and repatriation efforts, while also ensuring access to medical care.
In addition, on 8 December 2020, the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization adopted
a ‘Resolution concerning maritime labour issues and the COVID-19 pandemic’ (ILO, 2020b). This urges
all Members, to collaborate to identify obstacles to crew changes; designate seafarers as “key workers”,
for the purpose of facilitation of safe and unhindered movement for embarking or disembarking a vessel,
and the facilitation of shore leave. Members should also accept seafarer’s internationally recognized
documentation, including seafarers’ identity documents delivered in conformity with ILO Conventions
Nos 108 and 185, and also consider temporary waivers, exemptions or other changes to visa or
documentary requirements that might normally apply to seafarers. In addition, they should ensure access
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See further UNCTAD, 2020a, Chapter 5.E. See also COVID-19-related IMO circulars, https://www.imo.org/en/
MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx. For a list of COVID-19 related communications on measures taken by
IMO Member states/Associate Members (updated weekly), see http://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/
COVID-19-Member-States-Communications.aspx, as well as weekly updates from BIMCO on implementation measures
imposed by governments and UN bodies, for sea transport including for crew changes https://www.bimco.org/news/
ports/20210528-bimco-covid-19-weekly-report. For calls for action by UNCTAD, see UNCTAD, 2020b, 2020c, 2020d.
Also see UNCTAD, 2020e, and 2020f, ILO, 2020, WHO, 2020a, and INTERTANKO, 2020. For a roadmap to improve and
ensure good indoor ventilation in the context of COVID-19, see WHO, 2021a. For policy and technical considerations for
implementing a risk-based approach to international travel in the context of COVID-19, including for seafarers, see WHO,
2021b and 2021c.
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https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/75/17. Inter alia, the Resolution also requests IMO and UNCTAD to report on issues related
to the resolution.
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Subsequently revised in April 2021, to include reference to vaccination.
The COVID-19
seafarer crisis
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Seafarers, many of whom from developing countries, are playing a vital
role in ensuring the ow of critical goods across supply chains and
keeping the world trade moving.
All should be working together to implement relevant labour standards, protect
seafarers’ human rights and advance the objectives of SDG 8 of decent work
and economic growth for sustainable development.
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Vaccination
Concerted collaborative efforts by industry, governments and
international organizations should ensure that seafarers are
designated as key workers and are vaccinated as a matter of priority
Crew changes
Governments and industry should continue to work together,
including through the Neptune Declaration initiative, and in
collaboration with relevant international organizations, to facilitate
crew changes, in accordance with international standards and in
line with public health considerations
Route deviations
Charterers and other industry stakeholders should
be exible in accepting requests from shipping
companies for route deviation to facilitate crew
changes
International legal framework
States and other relevant stakeholders should
keep under review the relevant legal
framework and ensure that international
obligations are respected and implemented
Maritime single windows
Port community systems should implement the
Single Window concept to cover all the information
and formalities resulting from FAL and other
relevant instruments
Information exchange
Relevant public and private sector stakeholders should continue
their regular exchange of views and best practices on seafarers’
situation and needs
Outbreaks and emergencies at sea
Specic guidance on measures to prevent and deal with COVID-19
and other outbreaks at sea should be updated regularly, in line with
developing scientic insights
Despite important
international efforts and
support, the crew change
crisis has worsened and
seafarers are still facing
serious problems which
need to be addressed: