2 December 2020

Action Required: To share the details of the UN General Assembly resolution urging Member States to designate seafarers and other marine personnel as key workers with key stakeholders and national media contacts.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has issued a press release (Annex A) welcoming a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, which calls for all countries around the world to designate seafarers as key workers. The resolution can be found at Annex B (or downloaded from https://www.undocs.org/en/A/75/L.37) along with the remarks made by the Indonesian Ambassador to the UN at Annex C. The IMO has also issued a press release which can be viewed on their website https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/44-seafarers-UNGA-resolution.aspx. While the resolution is not binding it does urge Member States to designate seafarers and other marine personnel as key workers.

Members may wish to share the contents of the resolution with key stakeholders and ensure that government representatives are made aware of the action taken by the United Nations General Assembly. Members may also wish to share the press release with national media contacts.

Stuart Neil

Communications Director