Dr Doumbia-Henry one of the key architects of MLC
Nautilus International has awarded honorary membership of the Union to one of the key architects of the international Maritime Labour Convention, Dr Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry.
General secretary Mark Dickinson said Council members had unanimously endorsed his recommendation to make the award to Dr Doumbia-Henry, who has been described as the ‘mother of the MLC’.
It is without doubt that without her leadership and strategic vision, the MLC would not have seen the light of day, he added. From the very start, she saw the value of establishing a level playing field and appreciated the significance of seafarer and shipowner support for the idea of a global bill of rights for the worlds seafarers.
A qualified barrister, Dr Doumbia-Henry began her career at the University of the West Indies, Barbados, as a lecturer in law. She worked with the Iran-US Claims Tribunal in the Netherlands and then joined the ILO in 1986, where she has served both as a senior lawyer and in other management positions.
Dr Doumbia-Henry said it was personally gratifying to now find the MLC on the cusp of coming into force. Perhaps beyond even the ambitions of those that called for it in 2001, it already has nearly 60% of the world fleet covered and many more countries are close to joining, she added.
Dr Doumbia-Henry alsopointed out. ‘I urge you not to be discouraged but to instead appreciate that after a time, the turbulence will end and safe land fall will come into sight. I believe that this also will be the journey of the MLC, 2006.’
Source: Nautilus International
