New UN guideline to save 400,000 stranded seafarers

A new guideline issued by the United Nations (UN) is expected to bring relief to about 400,000 seafarers that have been stranded at sea for about six months now due to fears of coronavirus pandemic.

    Some 400,000 seafarers from across the globe have been stranded on ships, continuing to work but unable to be relieved, in a deepening crew change crisis, which threatens trade and maritime safety.

    Since passenger and repatriation flights are essential to allow stranded seafarers to go home, and for their relief crews to be able to join ships. The new guidance issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to facilitate those flights marks a further step to alleviate the on-going crew change crisis.

    Secretary-General, International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Kitack Lim, expressed his confidence that the new contribution by the United Nations would have a positive impact on the crew change crisis.

  Member States are strongly encouraged to bring the contents of the circular letter to the attention of the competent authorities, at both national and local levels, as well as all other parties concerned, in particular airports.

  The guidance outlines specific recommendations for seafarer changeover flights, including the need for advanced bilateral communication, coordination and planning between shipowners, aviation stakeholders and the relevant authorities.

  It also highlights the importance of seafarers and requests states to grant rapid authorization for the entry, departure and transit of aircraft, including seafarer changeover flights.

  The guidance is shared by IMO in Circular Letter 4204/Add.32. A copy obtained by The Guardian recommended a multilayer strategy, which covers public health corridors, general hygiene, physical distancing, use of face covering or masks, temperature screening at exit or entry points, passenger self declaration form, COVID-19 diagnostic testing, COVID-19 anti body testing, cleaning and disinfection.

  Others issues are proper managing of passengers with suspected COVID-19 infection; managing flights from high risk areas; contract tracing, isolation or quarantine; communication and information sharing.

    The guideline has specific recommendations for repatriation and seafarers’ changeover flights to include that; “the majority of repatriation is done by means of scheduled commercial flights, with alternatives being use of non-scheduled charter flights specifically for repatriation purposes or use od state-owned airlines or military aircrafts.

  It also stated that: “Cost for repatriation flights are paid either by the state or the passenger, in some cases funded by the state initially but then recuperated from the passenger,”

    The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) issued State Letter AN 5/28-20/97 on 23 September 2020 containing the attached guidance which provides a framework for harmonizing public health measures implemented by states in order to facilitate passenger and repatriation flights using Public Health Corridors (PHC) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The guidance was developed in the context of the global COVID-19 situation in mid-September 2020 and will be reviewed and updated as necessary with the evolvement of the pandemic by the ICAO Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA).

  During a high-level event on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly late September, Captain Hedi Marzougui, who was in command of a vessel between December 2019 and May 2020, appealed to governments to act to allow seafarers to come home.

    He said: “Not knowing when or if we will be returning home brings a severe mental toll on my crew and myself. I would encourage each and every one of you to think of how you would feel, if you had to work every day, for 12 hours, with no weekends, without seeing your loved ones, and trapped at sea. Now add that you have to do that with no idea of when you will be repatriated.”

  In a statement read out at the event, to mark World Maritime Day 2020, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, reiterated his concern for seafarers stranded at sea.

  He renewed his appeal to governments “to address their plight by formally designating seafarers and other marine personnel as ‘key workers’, ensuring safe crew changes and implementing the protocols developed by UN agencies, as well as the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Transport Workers’ Federation, allowing stranded seafarers to be repatriated and others to join ships.”

  The CEOs of 30 Consumer Goods Forum companies, including Unilever and Danone, also called on governments to designate seafarers as “key workers” and raised strong human rights concerns, stating: “the situation has also inadvertently created a modern form of forced labour”.

  Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Shipping, Both Guy Platten, and the General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, Stephen Cotton, called on governments to intervene to end the crew change crisis, warning the numbers of seafarers impacted would only continue to increase without coordinated action by governments.

A new guideline issued by the United Nations (UN) is expected to bring relief to about 400,000 seafarers that have been stranded at sea for about six months now due to fears of coronavirus pandemic.

    Some 400,000 seafarers from across the globe have been stranded on ships, continuing to work but unable to be relieved, in a deepening crew change crisis, which threatens trade and maritime safety.

    Since passenger and repatriation flights are essential to allow stranded seafarers to go home, and for their relief crews to be able to join ships. The new guidance issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to facilitate those flights marks a further step to alleviate the on-going crew change crisis.

    Secretary-General, International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Kitack Lim, expressed his confidence that the new contribution by the United Nations would have a positive impact on the crew change crisis.

  Member States are strongly encouraged to bring the contents of the circular letter to the attention of the competent authorities, at both national and local levels, as well as all other parties concerned, in particular airports.

  The guidance outlines specific recommendations for seafarer changeover flights, including the need for advanced bilateral communication, coordination and planning between shipowners, aviation stakeholders and the relevant authorities.

  It also highlights the importance of seafarers and requests states to grant rapid authorization for the entry, departure and transit of aircraft, including seafarer changeover flights.

  The guidance is shared by IMO in Circular Letter 4204/Add.32. A copy obtained by The Guardian recommended a multilayer strategy, which covers public health corridors, general hygiene, physical distancing, use of face covering or masks, temperature screening at exit or entry points, passenger self declaration form, COVID-19 diagnostic testing, COVID-19 anti body testing, cleaning and disinfection.

  Others issues are proper managing of passengers with suspected COVID-19 infection; managing flights from high risk areas; contract tracing, isolation or quarantine; communication and information sharing.

    The guideline has specific recommendations for repatriation and seafarers’ changeover flights to include that; “the majority of repatriation is done by means of scheduled commercial flights, with alternatives being use of non-scheduled charter flights specifically for repatriation purposes or use od state-owned airlines or military aircrafts.

  It also stated that: “Cost for repatriation flights are paid either by the state or the passenger, in some cases funded by the state initially but then recuperated from the passenger,”

    The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) issued State Letter AN 5/28-20/97 on 23 September 2020 containing the attached guidance which provides a framework for harmonizing public health measures implemented by states in order to facilitate passenger and repatriation flights using Public Health Corridors (PHC) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The guidance was developed in the context of the global COVID-19 situation in mid-September 2020 and will be reviewed and updated as necessary with the evolvement of the pandemic by the ICAO Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA).

  During a high-level event on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly late September, Captain Hedi Marzougui, who was in command of a vessel between December 2019 and May 2020, appealed to governments to act to allow seafarers to come home.

    He said: “Not knowing when or if we will be returning home brings a severe mental toll on my crew and myself. I would encourage each and every one of you to think of how you would feel, if you had to work every day, for 12 hours, with no weekends, without seeing your loved ones, and trapped at sea. Now add that you have to do that with no idea of when you will be repatriated.”

  In a statement read out at the event, to mark World Maritime Day 2020, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, reiterated his concern for seafarers stranded at sea.

  He renewed his appeal to governments “to address their plight by formally designating seafarers and other marine personnel as ‘key workers’, ensuring safe crew changes and implementing the protocols developed by UN agencies, as well as the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Transport Workers’ Federation, allowing stranded seafarers to be repatriated and others to join ships.”

  The CEOs of 30 Consumer Goods Forum companies, including Unilever and Danone, also called on governments to designate seafarers as “key workers” and raised strong human rights concerns, stating: “the situation has also inadvertently created a modern form of forced labour”.

  Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Shipping, Both Guy Platten, and the General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, Stephen Cotton, called on governments to intervene to end the crew change crisis, warning the numbers of seafarers impacted would only continue to increase without coordinated action by governments.