More than 130 ITF inspectors from across the globe have come together in Limassol, Cyprus, for the ITF’s Worldwide Inspectors Seminar (22–25 September 2025) this week.
The seminar, held once every five years, is the single most important gathering of ITF inspectors – the frontline defenders of seafarers’ rights in ports around the world who police agreements struck by the ITF and its affiliated maritime trade unions around the world.
ITF inspectors are vital to defending and advancing the rights of some of the most marginalised and isolated workers in the world. From enforcing collective agreements to rescuing crew abandoned without pay or food, their daily work is critical to protecting seafarers – now acknowledged as ‘key workers’ by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and ensuring that their rights are more than just words on paper.
But the maritime world is changing fast – with new technologies, environmental standards, and shifting global trade routes reshaping the industry. At this year’s seminar, the focus is on ensuring inspectors are ready to adapt and meet these challenges head-on – making sure that, no matter how the industry evolves, seafarers’ rights are properly upheld and enforced. This includes strengthening collaboration with port state control authorities and flag states.
Sessions throughout the week covered a wide range of pressing issues, including:
- Closer cooperation with port state control regimes such as the Paris MOU, whose secretariat presented to inspectors;
- Dialogue with flag states, through presentations by recognised organisations;
- The role of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) standards and human rights due diligence (HRDD) in the maritime sector – with inspectors deepening their understanding of how these frameworks can be leveraged to protect seafarers, as highlighted in the latest ISU report;
- Addressing violence and harassment at sea, with renewed calls for full ratification and enforcement of ILO Convention 190 (C190);
- Tackling abandonment, with updated reporting processes and strategies to ensure no seafarer is left stranded without pay, provisions, or a way home;
- Under the theme “It’s OK not to be OK”, equipping inspectors with tools to support seafarers’ mental health and wellbeing.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) itself has acknowledged that frameworks such as the International Safety Management (ISM) Code and the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) are not sufficient unless properly implemented and enforced by regulators – particularly flag and port states.
On World Maritime Day (25 September), ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton praised the work of the inspectorate and underlined the importance of the seminar:
“The ITF Inspectorate is nothing short of incredible. Every day, in every port, our inspectors stand up for seafarers who are too often left abandoned, exploited, or denied their most basic rights. This seminar is about focusing – and refocusing – our efforts, especially in the Flag of Convenience campaign, which remains the backbone of our fight for justice at sea.
“Seafarers deliver 90% of the world’s trade. They deserve more than empty promises. ITF inspectors will not take no for an answer when it comes to dignity, respect, and rights. On World Maritime Day, it’s time for the global industry to do better for the seafarers who keep our world moving forward.”
ITF President Paddy Crumlin highlighted the Inspectorate’s central role in the ITF’s history and future:
“For more than half a century, the ITF Inspectorate has been the beating heart of our global union – the living embodiment of solidarity. Inspectors are the ones who make sure that our agreements and our words translate into real change for seafarers.
“This seminar is about renewing our commitment to seafarers everywhere and ensuring that the Flag of Convenience campaign continues to deliver dignity, fairness, and justice on every ship, under every flag.”
The Worldwide Inspectors Seminar reaffirms the ITF’s commitment to ensuring that seafarers are protected – in every port, under every flag, every single day.
