Human Rights in the Shipping Industry: from Shipyard to Scrapyard

IHRB, Rafto Foundation Norway, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Anglo American and Maersk are co-hosting an industry roundtable to discuss the human rights lifecycle of the shipping sector.

To date there has been little attention within the shipping industry on human rights risks and operational responsibilities. Globally, the maritime industry tends to look at sustainability and the global development goals (SDGs) from a predominantly environmental perspective.

From the workers in the shipyards to the seafarers across the globe and those who dismantle ships on the beaches of South Asia, the risks of exploitation and harm are manifest and also raise significant risk to the business. From business customers to ship operators and owners, is there sufficient due diligence being undertaken to assess and minimise the risks of harm to maritime workers? Is there a need for a wider application of the frameworks that already exist including the Maritime Labour Convention, UNGPs or OECD Guidelines? Or do we now need an overarching human rights framework to better protect workers from the risks of exploitation? And what guidance, tools and benchmarks are needed for the industry actors to operationalise human rights due diligence?

Discussing risks, responsibilities, good practice, and gaps, you will hear from:

  • Leading shipping companies, about how to drive progress and greater focus on human rights within the industry
  • Business customers, about how to effectively extend measures to tackle forced labour from Tier 1 suppliers to transport and logisitcs
  • Investors in the industry, whose leverage starts at the shipyard
  • Civil society organisations, who seek to give voice to the human cost of a globally competitive industry with falling margins

The event is invitation only.  To register your interest, please email events@ihrb.org by 19th April 2019.

The event will be relevant to shipping companies, their business customers, and civil society organisations focussing on the shipping industries.