A collation of United Nations organizations joining with international labor leaders and members of the shipping community launched a new due diligence tool for global brands to use to ensure that they are protecting the human rights of seafarers across their supply chains. The Human Rights Due Diligence Tool for cargo owners and charterers seeks to expand on industry-led initiatives such as the Neptune Declaration, which attached over 800 global companies committing to direct businesses and specific cargo shipments to carriers that are proactively taking steps to protect their seafarers...

While the impetuous for the effort was an outgrowth of the pandemic and the thousands of crewmembers that were stranded or denied access to work over the past year, the UN agencies hope the new guidance will help ensure that the working conditions and human rights of seafarers are respected and comply with international standards. The new guidance aims to ensure that seafarers have their rights safeguarded in areas such as physical and mental health, access to family life, and freedom of movement...

It highlights the common human rights issues for seafarers and encourages companies to engage in a dialogue with the charterer or operator before hiring transportation services.

The UN organizations highlighted the continuing concern that seafarers are being forced to work beyond their contracts or the maximum 11-month period established in the Maritime Labor Convention. Currently, they believe that 200,000 crew remain at sea beyond their contracts and said they fear the number could return to the peak levels of 400,000 seafarers at the height of the crew change crisis in September 2020. The UN agencies also expressed strong concern at reports that companies engaged in international trade are avoiding chartering vessels where a crew change is due, with some demanding “no crew change” clauses in charter party agreements.