Manila conference bares alarming seafarer abuse

Manila conference bares alarming seafarer abuse
Malou Talosig-Bartolome September 1, 2025 https://businessmirror.com.ph/2025/09/01/manila-conference-bares-alarmin...

Filipino seafarers attend a pre-boarding briefing at the Maritime Industry Authority in Manila.
THE International Conference on Seafarers’ Human Rights, Safety, and Well-Being opened Monday with a sobering assessment of the global maritime workforce: the 1.9 million men and women who keep global trade moving are increasingly exposed to exploitation, neglect, and violence.

From abandonment and unpaid wages to harassment and criminalization, seafarers are bearing the brunt of systemic failures across the shipping industry. Their plight, officials warned, is not only a human rights emergency—it is a threat to the stability of global supply chains.

The Philippines, which supplies nearly 30 percent of the world’s seafarers, hosted the landmark gathering, affirming its role as a maritime labor powerhouse and a leading voice in global maritime governance.

“Without seafarers, there’s no shipping. No shipping means no shopping and no global trade,” said Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in a video message during the opening ceremony.

International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert Houngbo presented alarming data: 312 cases of seafarer abandonment were recorded in 2024, and 213 more have already emerged this year. These incidents often leave crews stranded at sea—without wages, food, medical care, or a way home.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk flagged a troubling pattern: many of these cases involve vessels flying so-called “flags of convenience”—registrations in countries with weak labor enforcement and minimal oversight. These flags offer shipowners a loophole to evade accountability, leaving crews vulnerable to exploitation. “Nearly three-quarters of abandoned ships this year were flying these flags,” Türk said.

Beyond abandonment, speakers cited a web of abuses that continue to plague the industry:

*Seafarers forced to work beyond legal contract limits
*Bullying, sexual harassment, and assault onboard
*Criminalization of crews for actions beyond their control
*Mental health neglect and lack of access to welfare services
*Gender discrimination and unsafe conditions for women seafarers

“These abuses are underreported and often invisible,” UN Human Rights Council President Jürg Lauber said. “We must act collectively to ensure justice, dignity, and safety for those who make the sea their workplace.”

Geopolitical tensions have further compounded the risks. From the war in Ukraine to missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea, shipping lanes have become battlegrounds, putting seafarers directly in harm’s way and disrupting their rights, livelihoods, and access to legal protections.

Manila Declaration

In response to these urgent challenges, the Philippines introduced the draft Manila Declaration on Seafarers’ Human Rights, Safety, and Well-Being—a comprehensive framework aimed at embedding human rights into the core of maritime governance.

Endorsed by international bodies including the IMO, ILO, and UN Human Rights Council, the draft declaration calls for:

*Full enforcement of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC)
*Emergency preparedness for health crises, disasters, and conflict
*Human rights due diligence across all maritime operations
*Gender equality, diversity, and harassment-free ships
*Upskilling for digitalization, automation, and decarbonization
*Fair recruitment and safe, dignified working conditions

Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro described the draft Manila declaration as “a human rights imperative,” while Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin urged delegates to endorse it as a collective commitment to build a safer, fairer, and more humane maritime industry.

The conference continues this week with thematic sessions on labor enforcement, mental health, gender equity, and crisis response. Delegates are expected to finalize the Manila Declaration and outline next steps for global implementation.