Health is a human right; the WHO, in its constitution, declared that ‘the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being’. Moreover, the ILO has declared the right to a safe and healthy work environment as being one of the fundamental rights at work that all people enjoy.
It is with this in mind that we attended the International Group of P&I Clubs seminar on mental well-being in maritime contexts.
The seminar saw civil society come together with industry leaders and practitioners from the maritime insurance industry to talk about the mental health and well-being of people at sea.
The seminar heard from four speakers, including Human Rights at Sea Advisory Board Member Professor Neil Greenberg, each calling for greater focus on mental health and well-being.
As well as recognition that mental well-being is a human rights issue, there much was discussion about how it is also an economic issue. As Deloitte showed in their recent research, there is an average return on investment of £5 for every £1 spent on supporting employee mental health.
The impact of discrimination and culture was also addressed at the seminar. Shipping is a global industry, and the workforce on board vessels is usually multinational. This means that there will be people with different cultural interpretations of mental health and distress, and it’s vital that ship owners and operators take this into account when addressing mental health and don’t adopt a ‘west is best’ approach.
The seminar was a timely and highly informative event, and Human Rights at Sea is pleased to see P&I Clubs take a leading role in this vitally important area.
Contact: If you have any questions, please write to us at enquiries@humanrightsatsea.org
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