28 November 2023

To mark the third year of the Delivering on Seafarers’ Rights - Code of Conduct, IHRB, SSI, Wilhelmsen Ship Management, Mission to Seafarers, and Rafto are co-hosting a roundtable event in Singapore on Tuesday 28th November 2023. The invitation-only Chatham House roundtable will bring together shipping stakeholders, from shipowners and charterers to seafarers and seafarers’ rights organisations, to focus on the most pressing seafarer welfare challenges, hear directly from seafarers, and discuss developments in the Code of Conduct implementation. The roundtable will also look at issues faced by shipyard workers.

The aim of the "SEAFAIRER" roundtable is to provide:

  • an opportunity for dialogue between seafarers, shipping companies, and cargo owners to address the most salient issues of seafarer welfare, including recruitment fees, shore leave and abandonment;
  • developments towards verification, and greater accountability and transparency;
  • clarity on specific welfare issues faced by shipyard workers.

Agenda:

The roundtable will be held under the Chatham House Rule.

0800 Registration and coffee/breakfast
0830 Welcomes and big picture | Andreas Aure, Norwegian Embassy; Carl Schou, Wilhelmsen Ship Management

0845 PANEL 1: Seafarer Welfare - issues facing seafarers now | Ben Bailey, Mission to Seafarers; Alexander Held, Turtle; Lars Gruenitz, Norstar

Moderated by Frances House, IHRB

1015 Break

1045 Due Diligence - progress on process | Christopher Saunders, RightShip; Ryan Bjorkquist, Standard Chartered Bank; Jarle Kverneggen, Klaveness Ship Management

Moderated by Esther Gan, Wilhelmsen Ship Management

1130 Shipyards – worker conditions | Moderated by Rosey Hurst, Impactt

1230 Closing Reflections | Peter Lye, Anglo American; Steven Jones, Happiness Index/SSI

The roundtable will be followed by an optional visit to a seafarer welfare centre and an evening reception at the Norwegian Ambassador's residence.

For more information please contact Frances House.

Photo credit: “Arya” by Colleague of Chuck Kent Neil Oliveros (ITF Seafarers' Trust photo competition 2023).
“Arya” is a seamanship term usually used by Filipino seafarers which means to loosen or to slack. Mooring operations is one of the dangerous activities on board ships as one mistake can end ones life with those deadly mooring ropes, that is why good seamanship and good communication skills are required during this operation, as the photo says, the Chief officer (Renato Dumaran) standing in front gives order to the Bosun ( Franco De Leon) which is on the control to slacken the rope for the vessel is not yet in position during the berthing operation and the Ordinary Seaman (which is me) serves as a look out of the mooring ropes. Teamwork plus safety will bring us back home to our love ones who are rooting for us. If we feel stressed or tired, just remember the word “Arya” sometimes we need to loosen our rope so that we will not break. To all seafarers out there, fair winds, blue skies and following seas!