Maritime nations call for urgent global action to protect seafarers in Manila accord 

Several maritime nations, led by the Philippines, on Tuesday called for urgent global action to ensure that the security and rights of all seafarers are protected, saying their well-being is crucial to the unhampered movement of the world's trade and supply chains.

Ten major seafaring and maritime states issued a declaration at the close of their two-day meeting in Manila, where they affirmed shared responsibility to protect and empower seafarers as they vowed to translate such commitments “into meaningful action.”

They said seafarers are "key workers" in a strategic industry vital to international commerce and global supply chains.

“Seafarers are indispensable to the ships plying the world’s oceans and seas carrying food, fuel, medicines, and other life-sustaining goods,” read the Manila declaration backed by Bangladesh, Germany, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Despite the document’s non-binding status, Carlos Sorreta, Philippine ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said Manila intends to push for wider support for the declaration.  

“We will try to get as many adherence to the declaration as possible,” he told a press briefing.  

Enhanced social dialogue, strengthened enforcement mechanisms, and close collaboration among stakeholders are crucial in addressing concerns of seafarers, according to the document.

“In a world of change, crises and conflicts, protecting seafarers is both a human rights imperative and a shared responsibility among all maritime stakeholders,” it said.

Global public health emergencies, disasters, conflicts, and unlawful acts against the safety of maritime navigation are some of the risks that they encounter.

Piracy and ransom kidnappings of Filipino sailors, particularly in waters off Africa, have long been a problem for the Philippine government as it lacks the capacity to monitor their movements when at sea.

The fate of several Filipino crewmembers of the MV Eternity remains unknown amid reports that Houthi rebels from Yemen took a number of hostages from the sunken vessel off the Red Sea last July.

The Philippines is one of the world’s largest providers of shipping manpower in the world.

A bulk of Filipino seamen or more than 20 percent of the world’s 1.2 million sailors are manning oil tankers, cargo ships, luxury liners, and passenger vessels worldwide, exposing them to attacks. 

Philippine Ambassador to the UK Teodoro Locsin said there is an urgent need for states to match their words “with necessary vigilance and critical action” for the safety of all sailors.

“Extraordinary men and women who bravely sail the world’s waters deserve nothing less than our full commitment to their human rights, safety, well-being and upholding the dignity of their vital service to mankind,” said Locsin, also the Philippines’ permanent representative to the London-based International Maritime Organization. —LDF, GMA Integrated News