Singapore: A slim majority of readers believe the IMO is not doing enough to protect the lives of seafarers. 53% of the 460-plus respondents to Maritime CEO’s latest survey felt the UN body could be doing more for ship’s crew. The question follows on from comments made last month by David Hammond, the founder of Human Rights at Sea (HRAS), who believes the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) is not far reaching enough.
“If the intent of the MLC 2006 was to genuinely provide express protections for individuals subject to human rights abuses such as right to life, deprivation of liberty, right to education to name but a few,” Hammond told Maritime CEO, “then there is no reason why this should not be explicitly stated.”
Views from readers were mixed on the issue. One respondent complained: “There are many simple initiatives that take too long for the IMO to endorse and implementation of new safety regulations are patchy as some PSC jurisdictions are more vigorous than others.”
Another said owners and managers should be doing more to protect seafarers, claiming: “The IMO can only do so much. Once the framework is set, the impetus has to come from the shipowner.”
The question is one of nine topical issues raised in the poll which is due to close this Thursday.
Results of the survey, dubbed MarPoll, will be announced in the June issue of Maritime CEO magazine, which will be distributed at Nor-Shipping. Voting is easy – and comments are also welcomed. It takes two minutes and there is no registration.
Click here to take the survey.
