Meeting Minutes: COPE° Working group on Psychological Safety and Sexual Assault and Harassment in the Maritime Sector

TUES, MAY 31, 2022 | 6:00 AM EST

Events

1) Welcome and Introduction

The group would like to hear more about this initiative.

2) Activities and Scope of Work

a) Sub-Group on Review and amend existing IMO Model Course 1.21 PSSR

  • Next meeting of the sub-group is planned on 8 June at 11.00 UTC
  • Jillian will host this meeting of the sub-group
  • Eva will send the latest, cleaned up version of our work to the group when Jillian has finished her notes and comments in the document.
  • The final review of the PSSR Model Course needs to be finished before November 2022, since the deadline for submission for HTW is in Feb 2023, and MSC107 will be in May 2023.
  • The group will receive a template with notes and advice on the content of the document: 1) background on the process to develop the changes to the Convention and the model course (i.e. experts, etc.); 2) amendments to the Convention KUPs; 3) changes to the model course. Concentrate on the development of the IMO submission. In her opinion, the document will get support.
  • Advice and input were given on the submission to IMO on PSSR:
    • Pull the Knowledge Understanding and Proficiencies (KUP’s) from the already developed changes to the model course.
    • Focus also on STCW Chapter I Regulation 14 for Companies (Guidance regarding responsibilities of companies and recommended responsibilities of masters and crew). This regulation will provide a link to the ISM Code.

b) Evaluate and provide training options

  • The group agreed to first work on the IMO Model Course on PSSR, and remain open to suggestions, collaborations and/or further work.
  • Designing courses on NEMO°, available totally free of charge. Investigating other training options. Taking into account. Minimum standards and Advanced standards. Listing out different kinds of outputs for parties to consider and opportunities for user groups.

c) Harmonizing best practices and guidance documents, industry resources and studies

  • The group decided to start a sub-group on ‘Data Collection, Output and Harmonization.’ Individuals have already taken initiative and started describing the scope of work for this sub-group.
  • Information on activities of the joint ILO/IMO working group. The hope is that the group is able to start working together near the end of this year.
  • Trafficking at sea. As discussed during our previous meeting, Debbie thinks that even though trafficking is a very important topic, it lies outside of the scope of the current initiative. The group decided to keep this topic on the agenda and invites members to share ideas about a way forward.

d) Awareness and response

Output relevant for mariners and other maritime professionals will be shared online by means on different channels. The working group will be open to hear the voice of the industry and take information into consideration.

  • Ideas for live YouTube sessions and/or podcast episodes:
    • Create the next live session with seafarers.
    • Share ‘nuggets’ on specific actionable items that people can do today
    • Attend external podcasts
    • Create a guide for resources for the Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) for companies applicable for shipping
    • Voices all around should be heard, all across the industry.
  • Create a video about our group in order to highlight our areas of expertise: what does is mean to be an ‘Agent of change’
  • Write a ‘position paper’, that we can publish to several maritime outlets as well as scientific journals to inform what we are doing and to create awareness – facilitating change.
  • Highlight best practices and positive actions (it is not all about doom and gloom)
  • Content should obtain: Validation, Game-plan, Push for change.

Other ideas:

  • Create a resources page on the COPE° website, so information will be available more conveniently and more transparent.
  • Create a guide for resources for the Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) for companies applicable for shipping. (Eva will put this on the scope of work for the sub-group on ‘Data Collection, Output and Harmonization’)

e) Reporting mechanisms and accountability

  • The group discussed how to link language about psychological safety, DEIA and SASH that is used in the IMO model course 1.21 on PSSR to the ISM Code and ISPS Code. Concerns were raised that ISPS may not be the right instrument to address this issue since it deals with security issues only and not personnel or human resource issues. However; there may be issues in the periphery that need to be address.
  • We can gather information that is done from our work on the PSSR Model Course, and use it for our future work to implement language on the ISM code and ISPS code.
  • The proposal to start a sub-group on ‘ISM and ISPS Code’ is postponed for now. We should first focus on the Model Course and way forward within IMO. Eva will make sure language and information about this is saved in the COPE° Teams Group.
  • Investigate more about SASH reporting mechanism, accountability, processes, responsibilities, and guidance’s.
  • Include information about port-based welfare committees, IHMA forum, ICMA or other organizations and might have information.

3) Information on activities of the joint ILO/IMO working group

The hope is that the group is able to start working together withITF, ICS, IMO and ILO near the end of this year.

4) Decisions and Take-Aways

  • Continue the review of PSSR Model Course 1.21 on 8 June at 11.00 UTC.
  • Sub-groups coalition is created to work on ‘Data Collection, Output and Harmonization’.
  • Focus on creating content, video and consider writing a paper on our work and our ‘Agents for change’.
  • Upload spreadsheet in COPE° Teams Group with ‘links and blurbs’.
  • Create a resources page on the COPE° website.

5) Next Meeting

Proposed to meet on Tuesday 14 June – 11.00 UTC

Proposed future meeting days:

  • Tuesday 05 July 2022
  • Tuesday 29 July 2022

ANNEX A
List of Members and Participants

The members and participates of the COPE° Working group on Psychological Safety and Sexual Assault and Harassment in the Maritime Sector are listed below.

*The information in the list is privacy sensitive, and thus will not be published here.*

ANNEX B
Terms of Reference

The COPE° Working group on Psychological Safety and Sexual Assault and Harassment in the Maritime Sector is hosted by Center for Ocean Policy and Economics, a subset of The Northeast Maritime Institute – College of Maritime Science. COPE° facilitates committed maritime government, non-government, corporate, education, science and technology experts and partners to collaborate and create drivers for change. Members of the working group will be sharing information, ideas, learnings and pooling resources in order to work on:

  1. developing and delivering relevant actions and impactful solutions
  2. drivers for change, in order to tackle the wicked problems present in our world today
  3. solutions to build on an international UN framework to connect the industry to objectives.

The work the COPE° working group will be driven by ethical and humanitarian based values, taking into account:

  1. building on a psychologically safe workplace culture in the maritime sector
  2. the successful integration of vulnerable and marginalized groups, in support of diversity, equality, equity, inclusion and acceptance
  3. the issues relating to sexual assault, harassment and bullying in the maritime sector
  4. transparency and integrity
  5. supporting and honoring mariners globally

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