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Indonesia hails adoption of UN seafarer resolution
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Soldiers from the Indonesian Military (TNI) guard the crew of an alleged “slave ship” at the naval port of Sabang, Aceh, on April 7, 2018. (AFP/File)
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ndonesia hailed the adoption of a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on seafarers last week as part of efforts to establish international norms on the protection of citizens working on foreign vessels. But concerns remain as the maritime country has yet to ratify another convention that would legally protect the workers.
Proposed by Indonesia, the nonbinding resolution on key worker seafarers was adopted on Tuesday by consensus, and addresses the challenges faced by seafarers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resolution, which was sponsored by 71 UN member countries including Australia, Germany, the United States and Russia, was the first UNGA resolution regarding seafarers and the management of the global flow of goods.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the adoption of the resolution was important for Indonesia not only as the largest archipelagic country, but also due to the number of Indonesian citizens who work as seafarers, as Indonesia is the third-largest seafarer-sending country after China and the Philippines.
Based on data from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), there are about 2 million seafarers in the world who work on more than 980,000 commercial vessels and transport more than 11 billion tons of global trade products.
Read also: Sailors’ deaths highlight lack of legal protections for migrant workers
Retno highlighted some of the important issues addressed in the resolution, such as defining seafarers as key workers. The resolution calls on governments and various relevant stakeholders to ensure the implementation of safety protocols for seafarers, including in the case of crew changes, travel facilitation, repatriation and access to health services.
