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For the seafarers trapped in Ukraine

Statement Joint open letter on seafarers still trapped in Ukraine

 

The 24th of February 2023 marked one year since the onset of the war in Ukraine. The International Chamber of Shipping, in collaboration with over 30 other organisations and companies, have written a joint open letter urgently calling on the UN Secretary General – His Excellency António Guterres – to prioritise the immediate release of the 331 seafarers and 62 ships that remain trapped in Ukrainian ports.

Read the joint industry open letter below:

Joint open letter on seafarers still trapped in Ukraine

Re: Shipping industry call for help to evacuate the 300+ seafarers still trapped in Ukraine ports

Your Excellency Secretary-General Guterres,

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.

Our seafarers are the heart of our industry and cannot be forgotten. For 12 months now they have been caught up in a crisis far beyond their control. Simply doing their jobs cannot come at the expense of their lives.

We recognise and celebrate the United Nations, and your leadership, 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.

We are committed to supporting the continued success of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, however this cannot come at the expense of innocent seafarers’ lives.

Action must be taken now.

Without our seafarers, movement of the vital grain shipments out of Ukrainian ports would not have been possible.

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.

Yours faithfully,

Please kindly see below the full list of signatories to the letter.

  • Armateurs de France – Mr. Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée, Chairman
  • Bahamas Shipowners Association – Mr. John Adams, Chairman
  • BIMCO – Mr.David Loosley, Secretary General & CEO
  • CONFIRTAMA – Italian Shipowners’ Association – Mr. Mario Mattioli, President of Italian Shipowners’ Association
  • Cyprus Shipping Chamber – Mr. Thomas A. Kazakos, Director General
  • Daiichi Chuo Kisen Kaisha – Mr. Masaharu Kurosawa, Representative Director, President Executive Officer
  • Danish Shipping – Ms. Anne H.Steffensen, Director General and CEO
  • European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) – Mr. Sotiris Raptis, Secretary General
  • FONASBA – Mr. Jonathan C.Williams FICS, General Manager
  • IINO KAIUN KAISHA, LTD. (IINO LINES) – Mr. Hiromi Tosha, President and Representative Director
  • INTERCARGO – Dr. Kostas G. Gkonis, CEO
  • InterManager – Capt. Kuba Szymanski, Secretary General
  • International Chamber of Shipping – Mr. Emanuele Grimaldi, Chairman
  • International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA) – Mr. Jason Zuidema, General Secretary
  • International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA) – Mr. Jim Scorer, Secretary General
  • International Maritime Employers’ Council Ltd. (IMEC) – Mr. Francesco Gargiulo, Chief Executive Officer
  • International Maritime Health Association (IMHA) – Dr. Robert Verbist, President
  • INTERNATIONAL PARCEL TANKERS ASSOCIATION (IPTA) – Mr. Mike Beviss, General Manager
  • International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) – Mr. Simon Grainge, Chief Executive
  • International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) – Mr. Lars Lange, Secretary General
  • INTERTANKO – Dr. Phillip Belcher, Marine Director
  • Japanese Shipowners’ Association – Mr. Junichiro Ikeda, President
  • Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) – Mr. Yukikazu Myochin, Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
  • Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. – Mr. Takeshi Hashimoto, Representative Director, President, Chief Executive Officer
  • Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) – Mr. Hitoshi Nagasawa, President, Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
  • RightShip – Mr. Steen Lund, CEO
  • Sailors’ Society – Ms. Sara Baade, CEO
  • Seafarers Hospital Society – Ms. Sandra Welch, CEO
  • Stella Maris – Mr. Martin Foley, Chief Executive Officer/European Regional Coordinator
  • Synergy Denmark A/S – Mr. Tommy Thomassen, COO
  • The Mission to Seafarers – Mr. Andrew Wright, Secretary General
  • The Seafarers’ Charity – Ms. Deborah Layde, Chief Executive
  • UK Chamber of Shipping – Ms. Sarah Treseder, CEO
  • Union of Greek Shipowners – Ms. Melina Travlos, President
  • Verband Deutscher Reeder (VDR) – Dr. Gaby Bornheim, President & Dr. Martin Kröger, CEO

This article is shared by courtesy of ICS-Shipping – www.ics-shipping.org

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