There is an urgent need to tackle the systemic challenges creating human rights and welfare risks for the world’s nearly 2 million seafarers. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting crew change crisis thrust seafarers into the spotlight in 2020, raising awareness of the need to respect seafarers’ rights and welfare and to enable a safe, healthy and secure onboard work environment. But seafarers faced difficult working conditions long before the pandemic.
The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) and the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), together with the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights and RightShip, are working together with a broad range of stakeholders from across the shipping industry in a call for greater attention to seafarers’ human rights and wellbeing as one important step in addressing current gaps in the protection of #SeafarersRights.
On Tuesday 12 October the organisations will launch a new industry Code of Conduct as well as Self Assessment tool – the products of an eight-month engagement process with cargo owners, civil society, charterers, shipowners and operators, seafarers’ associations and others.
The Code of Conduct and self-assessment go beyond the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) to focus on the full spectrum of seafarers’ rights and wellbeing, from fair terms of employment and minimum crewing levels to the management of grievance mechanisms.
Join the discussion on Tuesday 19 October to hear from seafarer representatives first-hand about the importance of taking a rights-based approach to crew welfare, from companies and investors leading the industry’s response, as well as from SSI and IHRB on how the Code of Conduct and Self-Assessment tools can assist shipowners and operators, charterers, financial stakeholders, and ultimately seafarers.
Agenda
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09:30 – 09:35 Welcome by Andrew Stephens, Chief Executive, SSI
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09:35 – 09:45 Keynote by Jacqueline Smith, Maritime Coordinator, International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)
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09:45 – 10:05 Overview of industry response; introduction to Code of Conduct and self-assessment
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Andrew Stephens, Chief Executive, SSI
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Christopher Saunders, Chief Product Officer, RightShip
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10:05 – 11:00 Panel discussion and audience Q&A, moderated by Francesca Fairbairn, Programme Manager, Shipping IHRB
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Samantha Bramley, Director Environmental and Social Risk Management, Standard Chartered Bank
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Simon Bennett, General Manager – Sustainable Development, Swire Shipping
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Seb Landerretche, Head of Freight, Louis Dreyfus Company
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Carl Schou, CEO & President, Wilhelmsen Ship Management
The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) and the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), in collaboration with the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights and RightShip, have worked with a broad range of stakeholders on calling for awareness and action towards respecting seafarers’ rights and welfare. On Tuesday 12 October the organisations will launch a new industry Code of Connduct and self-assessment questionnaire – products of an eight-month engagement process with cargo owners, civil society, charterers, shipowners and operators, seafarers’ associations and others.
