Fourteen countries have endorsed the Manila Declaration on Seafarers’ Human Rights, Safety and Well-Being, which was presented before the recently concluded international maritime conference.
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) said the list of countries endorsing the Declaration has been growing. As of September 9, 2025, the endorsers include Bangladesh, Belgium, Germany, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Spain, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island Ireland, Croatia and India.
The Manila Declaration presented at the conclusion of the international conference with the theme “No One Left Adrift: Seafarers at the Cross Current of Commerce, Conflict and Change” on Sept. 2, 2025, affirms the international community of a shared responsibility to protect and empower seafarers, to translate these principles into meaningful action, and to ensure that every seafarer’s rights are upheld at all times and in all circumstances.
The Manila Declaration acknowledged that seafarers are key workers in a strategic industry vital to international commerce and global supply chains. Seafarers are indispensable to the ships plying the world’s oceansand seas carrying food, fuel, medicines, and other life-sustaining goods.
The Declaration also noted that work and life at sea are fraught with risks to seafarers’ human rights, safety andwell-being. Global public health emergencies, disasters, conflicts, and unlawful actsagainst the safety of maritime navigation add to these risks.
In a world of change, crises and conflicts, protecting seafarers is both a human rights imperative and a shared responsibility among all maritime stakeholders, the Declaration stated.
It also called for enhanced social dialogue, strengthened enforcement mechanisms, and close collaboration among these stakeholders are crucial.
The Manila Declaration said that human rights are universal, inviolable on land and sea, and must be upheld at all times, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights treaties.
With that cooperation is indispensable to respect , protect, and promote the human rights and fundamental freedoms of seafarers.
The Declaration has called for the full enforcement of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended, in order to ensure safe and decent living and working conditions for all seafarers; improve emergency preparedness and response in times of crises, particularly during global public health emergencies, disasters, conflicts, and unlawful acts against the safety of maritime navigation.
It also seeks to foster an enabling environment that respects the right of seafarers to earn their living by work they freely choose or accept; ensure that the global maritime industry uphold the principle of corporate responsibility by the mainstreaming of processes that promote human rights; intensify efforts to promote gender equality and inclusivity to unlock the benefits of diversity in human capital for a just and more dynamic maritime industry.
The Declaration further noted of the new realities presented by technological advancements such as, automation, digitalization, and decarbonization, while ensuring the health andsafety of seafarers; equip seafarers with the skills and competencies required by new technologies; and create opportunities for them to transition to newcareer pathways; and promote technical cooperation and capacity-building in maritime education and training through North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation arrangements, as relevant.
