The final report was accepted by the Maritime Safety Committee, and now goes to the IMO Council and will thus complete its statutory journey.

IMO is currently much concerned, rightly, at the need for Governments and the shipping industry globally, with its wildly varying standards of management and care, to resolve the issue of crew members, out of contract and so unpaid, being isolated in foreign ports during the pandemic, and unable to return home to families. This requires governmental action, and will take some time to resolve to any degree of satisfaction.

Progress can be reported on navigational issues such as increasing standardisation of Port State Control, domestic ferry safety and effective water space management.