The Maritime and Ports Authority of Singapore (MPA) recently hosted a webinar on "International Maritime Safety", which was attended by about 2,100 representatives from maritime authorities, international organizations and shipping companies from 65 countries. Cao Desheng, the Director of maritime Administration, Ministry of Transport, attended the ceremony and delivered a keynote speech entitled “Strengthening closer cooperation in the shipping community and working together to meet the new challenges on Maritime Safety.”
Under the theme of "Maritime Security: New Normal, New Model", the seminar aims to invite international maritime experts and practitioners to share their experience and practices in enhancing maritime security during the epidemic, calling on the industry to pay attention to the impact of the epidemic on shipping, especially maritime security, and jointly explore countermeasures.
Cao Desheng said that the epidemic has brought new challenges to the sustainable development of the global shipping industry and maritime safety supervision, and the Maritime Bureau of the Ministry of Transport is committed to promoting the industry to protect the physical and mental health of seafarers, assisting the shipping companies to do well in the seafarer’s shift work, attaching great importance to the humanitarian treatment of sick and injured seafarers at home and abroad. Besides, it take measures to innovate management mode, and to maintain strict flag state inspection of Chinese ships. Measures have been taken to extend certificates and carry out online training examinations and replacement of mariners' certificates to facilitate shipping companies. The shipping industry should strengthen cooperation to improve the epidemic prevention and control measures for seafarers of international ships, encourage seafarers to embark with nucleic acid test certificates, and strengthen the "health pass" for seafarers to board ships when they change shifts. What’s more, we should provide more protection to seafarers in areas such as medical care and communications, and promote wider global acceptance and adoption of electronic certificate
During the meeting, the representatives also exchanged experiences on China's efforts to strengthen maritime security and ensure smooth flow of international logistics supply chains, and discussed issues such as the welfare of seafarers, cost-effective shift change of seafarers, enhancing the career appeal of seafarers and enhancing cooperation during the epidemic.