Eight leading Ukrainian public societies and professional's associations from education, training and employment of seafarers fields have signed a memorandum of joint action against corruption in administrative and certification services.

The subject is the partnership and cooperation for protecting the rights of seafarers and overcome crises in their training, diplomacy and employment. These include:

• Immediate actions against of existing corruption in the field of training and certification of seafarers;
• restoration of the rights and legitimate interests of seafarers and business entities involved in training of seafarers, violated by the actions or inaction of the executive authorities authorized to form and implement state policy in the field of training and certification of seafarers;
• a joint audit or public examination of the state of functioning of the system of training and certification of seafarers;
• development of a comprehensive action plan to stabilize the current crisis situation and ensure further sustainable development of education, training and certification of seafarers;
• maintaining more favourable conditions for the development of training, diplomacy and employment of seafarers and maintaining the position of Ukrainian seafarers in the international labour market;
• joint development of draft regulations in the field of training, diplomacy and employment of seafarers and participation in their public discussion;
• formation and implementation of a common information policy;
• establishing an open, transparent, systematic and constructive dialogue with the state authorities of Ukraine.

Seafarers - citizens of Ukraine at the moment face signs of committing corruption offenses against them at all stages of receiving administrative services from public authorities, and especially when assessing the competence of the State Qualification Commissions.

The formation and implementation of state policy in this area is carried out chaotically, unsystematically and not transparently, which leads to Ukraine's failure to fulfil its obligations under international agreements, first of all – the International Convention on Training and Certification of Seafarers and Watch keeping (STCW) 1978, as amended, degradation of the system of training and certification of seafarers, resulting in the loss of Ukraine's leading position in the international labour market, reduction of jobs for Ukrainian seafarers on foreign vessels, as well as the loss of Ukraine's reputation in the world" the signatories emphasise.

The parties also agreed to establish a Coordinating Committee, which will act as a platform for coordination and coordination of actions of the Memorandum participants, as well as a joint communication forum for communication of the maritime community with public authorities responsible for regulations development, formulation and implementation of state policy, and employment of seafarers.

As of April 28, 2021, the Memorandum was signed by:

• Association of Marine Training Centers,
• All-Ukrainian Association of Crewing Companies,
• All-Ukrainian Association Maritime Education,
• Maritime Chamber of Ukraine,
• Ukrainian Maritime Transport Union Association,
• Ukrainian Maritime Union,
• Ukrainian Association of Seafarers,
• Center for the Development of Maritime Transport of Ukraine.