With the coronavirus pandemic stranding nearly 400,000 merchant seamen at sea, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution Tuesday urging all nations to designate those working on ships as “key workers,” which would ease their travel.

The resolution adopted by consensus in the 193-member world body stresses the very difficult conditions that seafarers face at sea, which have been exacerbated by pandemic restrictions that have impeded crew changes and repatriation of sailors to their home countries.

Indonesian Ambassador DianTriansyah Djani, who sponsored the resolution, said the world largely pays little heed to the work of 2 million seafarers “who have shown their dedication and professionalism during this crisis, ensuring that world trade and logistics continue to move properly.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/un-urges-countries-to-designate-ship-crews-as-key-workers/2020/12/01/0252b1b6-3440-11eb-9699-00d311f13d2d_story.html?mc_cid=72a7898cc0&mc_eid=895cbb1e7a