Advice via Circular Letter for IMO Member States, seafarers and shipping

  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.44 (28 February 2022) Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Joint IMO/ILO/UNCTAD/WHO statement urging continued collaboration to address the crew change crisis, safeguard seafarer health and safety, and avoid supply chain disruptions during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic 
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.43 (1 November 2021) Coronavirus (COVID-19) – List of global ports offering vaccinations for seafarers
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.42 (Circular Letter No.4204/Add.42) Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Joint IMO/ILO statement on upholding medical assistance obligations to seafarers and accelerating seafarer vaccination programmes 
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.41 (18 May 2021) Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Roadmap for vaccination of international seafarers
  • Arabic Chinese English French Spanish Russian
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.40 (17 May 2021) Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Due Diligence Tool to support seafarers' human rights during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.39 (7 May 2021) Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Communication from the Secretary-General regarding the crew change crisis Arabic  Chinese English French Russian Spanish
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.38 (25 March 2021) Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Joint Statement calling on all Governments to prioritize COVID-19 vaccination for seafarers and aircrew Arabic Chinese English French Russian Spanish
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.37 (22 December 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID 19) – Third video meeting for Port State Control (PSC) regimes on harmonized actions at the time of pandemic of Covid-19
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.36/Rev.1 (23 December 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID 19) – ʺNo crew changeʺ clauses in charterparties
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.35/Rev.7 (20 May 2021) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Designation of seafarers as key workers
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.34 (19 November 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID 19) – WHO e-learning courses on "Promoting public health measures in response to COVID-19 on cargo ships and fishing vessels" and "Operational considerations for managing COVID-19 cases and outbreaks on board ships" 
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.33 (5 November 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Joint Statement IMO-UNWTO to support the safe resumption of cruise ship operations following the COVID-19 pandemic 
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.32 (25 September 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – ICAO Harmonized guidance on facilitating passenger flights, including repatriation flights, using public health corridors during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.31  (17 September 2020)  - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Joint Statement on the contribution of international trade and supply chains to a sustainable socio-economic recovery in COVID-19 times
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.30 (11 September 2020) -  Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Joint Statement calling on all Governments to immediately recognize seafarers as key workers, and to take swift and effective action to eliminate obstacles to crew changes, so as to address the humanitarian crisis faced by the shipping sector, ensure maritime safety and facilitate economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic  Arabic Chinese English French Russian Spanish
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.29  (4 September 2020) -  Coronavirus (COVID 19) – Communication from the Secretary-General regarding the crew change crisis
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.28  (26 August 2020) -  Coronavirus (COVID 19) – WHO guidance to promote public health measures on cargo ships and fishing vessels
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.27  (26 August 2020) -  Coronavirus (COVID 19) – Protocols to mitigate the risks of cases on board ships
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.26/Rev.1 (19 May 2021) -  Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Guidance on the gradual and safe resumption of operations of cruise ships in the European Union in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.25  (24 July 2020)  -  Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Outcome of surveys by ICS and ITF on health protection measures on board ships in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.24 (13 July 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Outcome of the International Maritime Virtual Summit on Crew Changes organized by the United Kingdom
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.23  (1 July 2020) -  Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Recommendations for port and coastal States on the prompt disembarkation of seafarers for medical care ashore during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.22/Rev.1(25 June 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Singapore Crew Change Guidebook
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.21(8 June 2020) - Joint statement IMO-UNCTAD – Call for collaborative action in support of keeping ships moving, ports open and cross-border trade flowing during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.20 (5 June 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Accelerating digitalization of maritime trade and logistics – A call to action
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.19/Rev.3 (8 February 2021) -  Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Guidance for flag States regarding surveys and renewals of certificates during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.18  (26 May 2020) -  Joint Statement IMO-ICAO-ILO on designation of seafarers, marine personnel, fishing vessel personnel, offshore energy sector personnel, aviation personnel, air cargo supply chain personnel and service provider personnel at airports and ports as key workers, and on facilitation of crew changes in ports and airports in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.17  (21 May 2020)  -  Coronavirus (COVID 19) – Preparing for post COVID-19 operations: considerations and practicalities for port community systems, single window and other electronic exchange platforms
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.16  (6 May 2020) -  Coronavirus (COVID 19) – COVID-19 related guidelines for ensuring a safe shipboard interface between ship and shore-based personnel
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.15  (6 May 2020) -  Coronavirus (COVID 19) - Personal protective equipment
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.14/Rev.1 (5 October 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Recommended framework of protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic - please note the Recommended framework of protocols have since been issued as MSC.1/Circ.1636, as may be revised 
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.13  (5 May 2020) -  Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Recommendations for Governments and relevant national authorities on facilitating the movement of offshore energy sector personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.12/Rev.1 (5 May 2020) -Coronavirus (COVID 19) – Declaration by Port Authorities Roundtable (PAR) members in view of the global COVID-19 situation
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.11 (24 April 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID 19) - EC Guidelines on protection of health, repatriation and travel arrangements for seafarers, passengers and other persons on board ships
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.10 (22 April 2020) - Joint Statement IMO-WHO-ILO on medical certificates of seafarers, ship sanitation certificates and medical care of seafarers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic 
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.9 (16 April 2020) - Joint Statement IMO-WCO on the integrity of the global supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.8 (14 April 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Video meeting with port State control (PSC) regimes (includes joint statement and statements and/or relevant temporary guidance issued by the United States, the Acuerdo de Viña del Mar and the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Paris and Tokyo MOUs
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.7 (3 April 2020) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Guidance concerning unforeseen delays in the delivery of ships
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.6 (27 March 2020) Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Preliminary list of recommendations for Governments and relevant national authorities on the facilitation of maritime trade during the COVID-19 pandemic 
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.5/Rev.1 (2 April 2020) Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Guidance relating to the certification of seafarers and fishing vessel personnel
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.4/Rev.4 (28 February 2022) contains ICS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for ship operators for the protection of the health of seafarers
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.3 (2 March 2020) - Operational considerations for managing COVID-19 cases/outbreak on board ships
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.2 (21 February 2020) contains the Joint Statement IMO-WHO on the Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak and encourages Member States and international organizations to disseminate it as widely as possible. A vailable in the six official languages of the United Nations system. Arabic Chinese English French Russian Spanish
  • Circular Letter No.4204/Add.1 (19 February 2020) provides advice on Implementation and enforcement of relevant IMO instruments
  • Circular Letter No.4203.Add.1 (12 February 2020) provides information and guidance on the precautions to be taken to minimize risks to delegates
  • Circular Letter No.4204 (31 January 2020) providing information and guidance, based on recommendations developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), on the precautions to be taken to minimize risks to seafarers, passengers and others on board ships