In a joint statement aimed at all governments around the world, the heads of five United Nation’s bodies have called for transport workers to be prioritised for vaccinations given that they play a key role in the movement of goods around the globe.
[s2If is_user_logged_in()]The UN heads wrote that maritime and air transport workers should be prioritised for vaccinations, “given their key role in supporting global trade and mobility, which is essential for a sustainable socio-economic recovery”.
Seafarers and aircrew must cross borders even though this is contrary to World Health Organization (WHO) rules and should show proof of vaccination as a prerequisite for entry.
“For shipping and air transport to continue to operate safely, the safe cross border movement of seafarers and aircrew must be facilitated. We reiterate our call upon countries that have not done so to designate seafarers and aircrew as key workers,” said the joint statement.
Furthermore, the five leaders asked governments to prioritise seafarers and aircrew in national vaccination programmes, along with other essential workers, in accordance with the WHO SAGE Roadmap for prioritizing the use of COVID-19 vaccines in the context of limited supplies.
“The organizations state their full support for the timely development of an international harmonized framework for vaccination certificates, to facilitate international travel for seafarers and aircrew,” said the group.
The UN Five are the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
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