致 G20 領導人及部長們

促成船員及海事人員的基本調動之訊息

國際航運公會 (ICS) 及國際運輸工人聯盟 (ITF) 聯合聲明

2020 年 4 月 7 日

航運是世界經濟的命脈，90% 的全球貿易都倚靠航運，而航運則依賴全球共 200 萬名船員及海事人員操作商船方可維持運作。

目前可預期旅行及飛航限制將會持續下去，因此迫切需要各國政府立即解決如何順利進行船員更換的嚴重問題。若不採取協調一致的全球行動，將危害到航運進出口的有效流動，更可能對各國經濟在 COVID-19 疫情危機中的復原產生負面影響。 

各國政府理當將注意力集中在目前 COVID-19 引發的緊急公共衛生事務上，但我們不可忘記，在各項重要經濟活動中，是商船在運送全球的醫療用品、食物、能源和原料，以及在複雜的全球供應鏈中，對維持各國經濟與就業機會而言不可缺少的加工製品和零件。」

2020 年 3 月 30 日，G20 貿易及投資部長們宣布：「我們會確保作為全球供應鏈骨幹的物流網平穩且持續地運行。我們會力求讓空運、海運及陸運的物流網保持開放，並啟動必要的措施，便利衛生人員與商務人士跨境行動同時不影響遏止病毒傳播的防制工作。

轉達 G20 聲明的重要關鍵在於各國政府透過促成全球船員及海事人員的基本調動，包括更換船員的可行性，確保全球航運系統能持續運作。

由於 COVID 19 大流行仍未結束，我們希望 G20 領導人及部長能注意國際海事組織 (IMO) 2020 年 3 月 27 日 4204/Add 6 號通函中針對政府促成各港口船員更換提供的建議措施。

這些全面性的建議包括指定專業的船員及海事人員，不論其國籍，均視為提供基本服務的「關鍵工作者」，並給予適當的國內旅行或行動限制豁免，以便他們上下船舶。這些建議完全符合世界衛生組織 (WHO) 給予各政府的指導準則，亦參酌國際勞工組織 (ILO) 於 3 月 31 日發表的三方聲明。

我們敦請 G20 領導人及部長竭盡所能地確保這些建議各政府採取的事項都能充分實行。

除了眾多旅行限制，加上會影響船員和海事人員的入境審查相關問題及健康篩檢規定，船員更換（對於延續安全有效的航運工作而言至關重要）面臨的一大障礙，是全球許多機場目前都暫停航班。

出於人道考量，同時為符合國際安全及僱傭法規，船員變更不能無限期推遲。在正常情況下，每個月大約有 10 萬名船員上下其工作的船舶，以符合相關的國際海事法規並維護其身心健康、安全及福祉，更重要的是確保重要民生物資的海上運輸安全。

全球航運業已意識到，由於目前眾多國家/地區執行對航空旅行、船員動向及船員在港口上下船的限制和健康篩檢規定，多數船員更換至少必須推遲到 2020 年 5 月，甚至可能延遲更久。

然而，已有數萬名履行完船上職責的船員正在等待遣返，可能很快就會來到臨界點，屆時各船旗國主管機關不會再同意延長船員停留船上的時間。

同時業界也非常擔心，這些限制造成數萬名船員已經待在海上數月，加上身體與精神的嚴苛工作條件，會導致海上事故及災難的風險倍增 ，這對已經不堪一擊的全球經濟而言，是大家最不願意見到的情況。

因此我們需要一項全球策略，在聯合國相關專門機構、各國政府和包括大型航空公司在內的其他相關利益方之間，展開必要的合作，盡快促成船員及海事人員的基本調動。

我們呼籲各國政府採取立即措施，確定其國內港口及附近的合適機場，並讓船員盡快從這些港口和機場上下船，並通知 IMO 及國際民航組織。

我們也呼籲各國政府，在發生醫療緊急的情況時，提供外來船員岸上緊急醫療服務，並在必要時依國際勞工組織《 2006 年海事勞工公約》之要求提供緊急遣返。

我們也要求，因情況緊急，各國主管機關應立即與其國內的船東協會、海員工會和其他相關利益方聯繫，以尋求船員更換這一嚴重問題的解決辦法，否則有可能阻礙全球在面臨 COVID-19 大流行的同時，仍能保持全球供應鏈繼續運行的共同努力。

我們也進一步建議，若就船員更換問題成立 G20 特別工作小組，將有效提高對冠狀病毒大流行的應對能力。

我們明白眼下對各國政府來說都是充滿挑戰的時刻，並感謝 G20 率先認知到航運的重要性。我們已做好準備與 G20 合作，確保全球供應鏈能夠持續運轉，也期待全球商船船員更換的複雜挑戰，也能順利找到解決方案。

國際航運公會 (ICS) 秘書長蓋．普拉滕 (Guy Platten)

國際運輸工人聯盟 (ITF) 秘書長史蒂芬．柯頓 (Stephen Cotton)
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MESSAGE TO G20 LEADERS AND MINISTERS

ON FACILITATING ESSENTIAL MOVEMENT OF

SEAFARERS AND MARINE PERSONNEL

INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF SHIPPING (ICS) AND INTERNATIONAL

TRANSPORT WORKERS’ FEDERATION (ITF) JOINT STATEMENT

7 April 2020

About 90 per cent of global trade is moved by maritime transport, which is the lifeblood of the global economy, and is dependent on the world’s 2 million seafarers and marine personnel who operate the world’s merchant ships.

Given the expected continuation of travel and flight restrictions, there is a critical need for Governments to address the serious problem of facilitating ships’ crew changes. Without co-ordinated global action, the efficient flow of imports and exports carried by sea will be jeopardised, with negative impacts on the resilience of national economies throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

While it is right for Governments to focus on the immediate public health emergency presented by COVID-19, we must not forget that – amongst other economically important activities – that merchant ships move the world’s medical supplies, food, energy and raw materials, plus the manufactured products and components which, due to complex global supply chains, are necessary for national economies to function effectively and for the preservation of jobs.

On 30 March 2020, the G20 trade and investment ministers declared: “We will ensure smooth and continued operation of the logistics networks that serve as the backbone of global supply chains. We will explore ways for logistics networks via air, sea and land freight to remain open, as well as ways to facilitate essential movement of health personnel and businesspeople across borders, without undermining the efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.”

Critical to delivering on this G20 statement will be for Governments to ensure the continuing functioning of the global maritime transportation system by facilitating the essential movement of the world’s seafarers and marine personnel, including the ability to conduct crew changes.

As the COVID 19 pandemic continues, we wish to draw the attention of G20 leaders and ministers to the recommended measures for Governments to facilitate crew changes in ports, circulated by the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) as Circular Letter 4204/Add 6, dated 27 March 2020.­

These comprehensive recommendations include designating professional seafarers and marine personnel, regardless of nationality, as “key workers” providing an essential service and granting them appropriate exemptions from national travel or movement restrictions, to enable them to join and leave ships. These recommendations are fully in line with the guidance provided to Governments by the World Health Organization, and complemented by the tripartite statement issued by the International Labour Organization on 31 March.

We urge G20 leaders and ministers to do everything possible to ensure that these recommendations to Governments are fully implemented. In addition to the many travel restrictions, plus challenges related to immigration and health screening protocols affecting seafarers and marine personnel, a pressing obstacle to crew changes – which are critical for safe and efficient maritime transportation activities to continue – is the current suspension of flights from many of the world’s airports.

For humanitarian reasons – and the need to comply with international safety and employment regulations - crew changes cannot be postponed indefinitely.

Every month (in normal circumstances) around 100,000 seafarers need to be changed over from the ships which they operate, in order to comply with relevant international maritime regulations to protect health, safety and welfare and ensure, amongst other

activities, the safe transportation by sea of vital goods and products.

The global maritime transport industry recognizes that the restrictions and health protocols which currently apply in many States with regard to air travel, the movement of ships’ crews and their embarkation and disembarkation in ports, means that many crew changes may need to be postponed at least until May 2020, and potentially for somewhat longer.

However, tens of thousands of seafarers, whose tours of duty have to come to end, are already waiting to be repatriated, and we could soon reach a point when flag State Administrations may no longer be willing to grant extensions for seafarers to stay on board their ships.

It is also a great concern for the industry that the restrictions in place have resulted in thousands of seafarers being at sea for several months already and this, combined with demanding tasks, both physical and mental, increases exponentially the risk of marine accidents and disasters happening, which is a daunting scenario for an already fragile and stretched global economy.

A global strategy is therefore required to deliver the necessary co-operation among relevant UN specialized agencies, Governments and other relevant stakeholders, including major airlines, to facilitate the movement and changeover of ships’ crews as soon as practicable.

As an immediate step, we call on all Governments to identify ports in their countries, and appropriate airports nearby, from where crew changes can be resumed as soon as possible, and to inform IMO and the International Civil Aviation Organization accordingly.

We also call on Governments, in the event of medical emergencies, to provide visiting seafarers with access to emergency medical treatment ashore and, if necessary, to facilitate emergency repatriation as required by the ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006.

We also request, as a matter of urgency, that national authorities should engage immediately with their national shipowners’ association, seafarers’ unions and other relevant stakeholders, in order to explore solutions to the serious problem of conducting crew changes, which otherwise risks impeding collective efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic whilst also allowing global supply chains to continue to function.

We further suggest that the establishment of a special G20 taskforce on the issue of ships’ crew changes would add greatly to an effective response to the coronavirus pandemic.

We appreciate that this is a challenging time for Governments, and welcome the lead already given by the G20 in recognising the importance of maritime transportation. We stand ready to work with the G20 to ensure that global supply chains can continue

to function, and that a solution can be found to the complex challenge of facilitating crew changes for ships trading worldwide.

Guy Platten, Secretary General, ICS  /  Stephen Cotton, General Secretary, ITF