Put people at heart of regulation, Nautilus International members tell IMO

Nautilus International Members have voted unanimously to lobby the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to improve the safety and welfare of seafarers, by putting people at the heart of regulation.

The motion, passed at the Union's main policy-setting forum the 2019 Nautilus General Meeting in Rotterdam on Wednesday 9 September, was addressed to IMO secretary general Kitack Lim and the IMO secretariat.

It called for changes to the working arrangements of IMO Committees and Sub-Committees, so that human welfare is considered at every stage of the rule making process and to ensure that the safety of seafarers should always take priority when developing IMO instruments.

The 2019 General Meeting acknowledged recent steps taken by IMO to draw attention to the safety and welfare of seafarers, and the support offered to members of the Human Element Industry Group (HEIG) in their efforts to address the many outstanding issues of safety procedures and equipment.

The HEIG is tasked with improving maritime safety by addressing human element issues in IMO regulations.

• Nautilus International members can now watch a selection of video clips from the General Meeting via the Union's private members' Facebook group.