More than 30 shipping companies and organisations have sent an open letter to United Nations (UN) secretary general, António Guterres, urgently calling for the immediate release of trapped seafarers in Ukraine.
The purpose of the letter is to force Guterres to prioritise the immediate release of the 331 seafarers and 62 ships that remain trapped in Ukrainian ports due to Russia’s war.
“As we approach one year since the start of the war in Ukraine, the co-signatories of this letter write to you to highlight the 331 seafarers still trapped on vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. We call on the United Nations, and on your diplomatic influence, to address this matter urgently and evacuate all remaining seafarers and ships,” said the shipping bodies and firms in the letter.
“For 12 months now they [seafarers] have been caught up in a crisis far beyond their control. Simply doing their jobs cannot come at the expense of their lives,” noted the letter.
The organisations and companies mentioned that they recognise the United Nations for the Black Sea Grain Initiative that the UN successfully brokered with Türkiye between Ukraine and Russia. “This has allowed safe passage of critical grain and fertiliser shipments from Ukraine to populations most in need, and curbed food prices from spiralling out of control,” they pointed out in the letter.
“While there are challenges to evacuating seafarers and their ships, it must nonetheless be a top priority. Otherwise, we risk the lives of our seafarers, and this is unacceptable,” the shipping companies and organisations concluded.
Below follows the full list of signatories to the letter:
- Bahamas Shipowners Association
- BIMCO
- CONFIRTAMA – Italian Shipowners’ Association
- Cyprus Shipping Chamber
- Daiichi Chuo Kisen Kaisha
- Danish Shipping
- European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA)
- FONASBA
- IINO KAIUN KAISHA, LTD. (IINO LINES)
- INTERCARGO
- InterManager
- International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)
- International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA)
- International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA)
- International Maritime Employers’ Council Ltd. (IMEC)
- International Maritime Health Association (IMHA)
- INTERNATIONAL PARCEL TANKERS ASSOCIATION (IPTA)
- International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI)
- INTERTANKO
- Japanese Shipowners’ Association
- Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE)
- Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
- Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line)
- Sailors’ Society
- Seafarers Hospital Society
- Stella Maris
- Synergy Denmark A/S
- The Mission to Seafarers
- The Seafarers’ Charity
- UK Chamber of Shipping
- Union of Greek Shipowners
- Verband Deutscher Reeder (VDR)
