Human Rights in the Maritime Industry - Launch of "Mind the Gap Tour"
What is the human rights lifecycle of a ship? At #Arendalsuka we are lauching our "Mind the Gap Tour" - awareness-raising seminars with the Norwegian shipping industry to promote the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human rights. Organizers of the Tour are: Nor-Shipping, Maritime Forum, YounShip, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Institute for Human Rights and Business and the Rafto Foundation.
Background:
The Rafto Foundation for Human Rights is partnering with the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) and the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) to develop a programme of awareness-raising and capacity-building with the Norwegian shipping industry to promote the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the importance of human rights due diligence and risk mapping.
At the heart of our approach is developing the ‘human rights lifecycle’ of a ship from finance and construction through operation to recycling/beaching. Around this ‘lifecycle’ centre are five key sustainability ‘spokes’ for the maritime industry, with significant human rights risks and challenges within each:
1. Transportation
2. Renewable energy
3. Deep-sea mining
4. Food harvesting and production
5. Tourism
Following a recent consultation roundtable with the Norwegian Ship-owners Associations, YoungShip, WISTA (Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association) and NOR Shipping, we have agreed to deliver the ‘Mind the Gap Tour’ of human rights seminars for the Norwegian shipping industry, which will focus primarily on the human rights lifecycle stages, but be adapted to each audience. They will take place from October 2018 - June 2019, and conclude with a panel at NOR Shipping 2019 to report findings and next steps of engagement with the industry. These may include:
Deep-dive research papers on the 5 ‘spokes’ of sustainability focus
A set of Human Rights Standards for the global Maritime Industry – with Norway and Denmark playing lead roles in dissemination and advocacy
A series of specific ‘dilemma fora’ with shipping companies and human rights experts to discuss challenges and share good practice.
