India, Liberia launch new group for safety of seafarers

• Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, along with Liberia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Sara Beysolow Nyanti, launched the ‘Group of Friends on Safety & Security of Shipping & Seafarers’ (GoF on S4) on the margins of the high-level UN General Assembly session on September 25.

• As a major source country for seafarers, India joined hands with Liberia, which hosts the largest shipping registry by tonnage.

• This initiative is an endeavour to draw greater global attention to issues pertaining to the seafarers and the commercial shipping industry.

• This Group will be an inclusive, voluntary and action-oriented platform, aimed at deepening cooperation among member states and other stakeholders. 

• It will promote exchange of views, sharing of experiences and practical cooperation. 

• It will complement and strengthen the existing international frameworks, mandates and instruments in these areas.

• India and Liberia will serve as co-Chairs of the Group. 

• The group consists of major ship-owning member states, countries with the largest number of ship registries, and those that provide the maximum numbers to seafaring.

Significance of this group

• The world witnesses international trade worth more than $140 billion a day. 

• Oceans support more than 80 per cent of those activities. 

• The supply chains are deeply interconnected and securing the maritime commons is therefore crucial. 

• Nearly two million seafarers operate the world’s merchant fleets, often navigating choppy waters, both literally and metaphorically. 

• In recent months, the world has seen unacceptable attacks on commercial shipping and merchant mariners. They are legally and morally indefensible. These have occurred from the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf, to the Red Sea and Black Sea.

• The developments underline the threats posed to the safety and security of seafarers, including prolonged confinement on board, delayed crew changes and repatriation, separation from families, psychological distress other than these lethal attacks.

• Despite the existence of international and regional frameworks for protecting the rights of seafarers, there is a need for stronger and closer international cooperation on this matter. 

• Seafarers often belong to a different nationality than the flag that the commercial vessels fly, which makes the case for a concerted effort by the international community even stronger.