The President of Ukraine has approved a new National Human Rights Strategy, setting out the country's key policy priorities in the field of human rights.

Of particular importance to the maritime community, under the operational objective on the right to work, the Strategy specifically identifies the need to strengthen the protection of the rights of certain categories of workers, including seafarers, by aligning Ukrainian legislation with international standards.

MTWTU considers this provision an important step towards systematic recognition at the national level of the specific role and working conditions of seafarers.

For many years, MTWTU has consistently raised the issue of proper recognition and protection of Ukrainian seafarers. As early as April 2020, during the global COVID-19 crisis, MTWTU appealed directly to the President and Prime Minister of Ukraine, stressing the strategic importance of Ukrainian seafarers to global shipping and the Ukrainian economy, and calling for measures to support their work and mobility.

In December 2020, MTWTU proposed a package of measures to the Cabinet of Ministers to support seafarers as "key workers". The initiative received the support of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF). On 1 December 2020, ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton wrote to Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna in support of MTWTU's demand that Ukraine recognise seafarers as key workers in line with the position of the IMO, ILO and ICAO.

"MTWTU has repeatedly drawn the attention of the President and the Government of Ukraine to the special role of seafarers — workers on whom the continuity of global trade and supply chains depends. Back in 2020, together with the ITF, we called on Ukraine to recognise seafarers as key workers. We therefore welcome the inclusion in the National Strategy of a specific task to strengthen the protection of seafarers' rights. This does not yet constitute formal key-worker status. Still, we hope it will become an important step towards such recognition and towards bringing Ukrainian legislation into line with international maritime labour standards," said Oleg Grygoriuk, MTWTU Chairman.

The next important step will be the practical implementation of the Strategy. The Cabinet of Ministers is required to develop an operational plan for 2027–2029 within six months. For MTWTU, international maritime labour standards and the views of social partners must be properly reflected in this process.

One of the most important standards in this regard remains the ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) — often referred to as the "seafarers' bill of rights". It establishes international standards covering seafarers' working and living conditions, social protection, repatriation, medical care and other fundamental rights.

"We hope that the logical continuation of this decision will be Ukraine's earliest possible ratification of the MLC, 2006. For a country that is one of the world's major suppliers of highly qualified seafarers, this is not only a matter of international commitments — it is about ensuring real protection for Ukrainian citizens wherever in the world they work," Oleg Grygoriuk emphasised.