| Print | Close Window | AMO Currents - Posted: March 23, 2010 |
ITF launches campaign to fight piracy
The vote of ITF Seafarers' delegates last week during ITF meetings in Berlin, Germany, authorized the ITF to launch a campaign aimed at sending half-a-million signatures to governments by World Maritime Day, observed on Sept. 23. All governments will be asked to contribute to the fight against piracy, particularly "flag-of-convenience" states that have so far neglected their responsibility to vessels registered in their countries, the ITF stated.
"This decision has empowered us to build a worldwide campaign to put pressure on all governments to close the gap in their anti-piracy efforts," said ITF Maritime Coordinator Steven Cotton. "The reality is that seafarers are risking their lives transporting the world's goods through areas that are daily growing more dangerous. That situation is not going to change without dramatic efforts to address problems of Somalia and its people and grasp the nettle of confronting and prosecuting piracy."
The petition will, among other things, call on governments to "dedicate significant resources" to fighting piracy, "take immediate steps" to bring kidnapped seafarers home, and work with other governments to "secure a stable and peaceful future for Somalia and its people."
The ITF is a federation of 654 unions, including American Maritime Officers. The ITF's Seafarers Section represents more than 600,000 seafarers around the world.
| Copyright © American Maritime Officers, All Rights Reserved |