The seafarers summit in Manila on 26 June will discuss crewing requirements for 2050.
The International Chamber of Shipping, International Maritime Employers’ Council Ltd., and International Transport Workers’ Federation are jointly staging the “Shaping the Future of Shipping Seafarer 2050” at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City to highlight the elements needed for shipping in the future, such as education and training, building capacity and resilience, recruitment, retention of seafarers and ensuring that any transition is safe, equitable, and human-centric.
Organizers estimated that an additional 90,000 seafarers are needed by 2026 to keep global trade moving.
The summit will also tackle the risks to shipping and global trade and the investments and changes needed to ensure that sufficient numbers of skilled seafarers are available to fulfill the requirements of shipping in 2050.
International Labor Organization Director General Gilbert Houngbo will open the event that is expected to bring together government ministers, regulators, shipowners, employers, unions, industry leaders and technology and infrastructure providers in one place.
The upcoming conference is a key moment in shipping and for the Philippines, the seafaring capital of the world, according to the Department of Transportation.
“It is well known that the Philippines is and our seafarers are not only integral to the future of the shipping industry but also to our country’s economy,” DoTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
“We are currently at a crossroads as the industry evolves to a greener and more digital operating environment, with ambitious climate goals to meet by 2050 and new emerging technologies, but one thing is key and that is that seafarers need to be central in the discussions. I am encouraged to see many industry leaders joining the conference and urge fellow ministers in the region to join in on the conversations,” he added.
“The Seafarer 2050 summit is our opportunity to bring together the shipping industry and determine how we can continue to shape a better future for seafarers and ensure no one gets left behind in the green energy transition,” ICS secretary general Guy Platten said.
“The Seafarer 2050 Summit will focus not only on the issues we need to work together on but also the need for a global consensus to support our seafarers,” IMEC chairman Belal Ahmed said.
“This event is about looking out to 2050, to set out the practical plans needed for a just transition and a
future-proof workforce,” ITWF secretary general Stephen Cotton said.