Windward’s Paris MoU Campaign

New Year’s Eve is back on! The Paris MoU – following the launch of our campaign – may partially reverse its decision to restrict access to its data feed from January 1. As our CEO wrote in TradeWinds, this would seem like a victory for maritime safety and security, and for common sense.

But the fight continues. First, because the organization’s secretary-general, Luc Smulders, has only said that member states “are ready to consider” individual requests to be allowed access to the Paris MoU’s data feed. And second, because even if, after considering these requests, members grant them, it’ll still leave a large number of organizations without the data, leading to potential conflicts-of-interest, favouritism and the possible undermining of port state control data itself.

On the plus side, the industry has shown that it cares deeply about this issue. More than 1,500 people (and counting) read our initial op-ed in The Maritime Executive. We launched a data-driven report, explaining why Paris MoU port state control data matters, how it can help models predict accidents and what would happen if and when the organization cuts its data feed on New Year’s Day. It was viewed and/or downloaded by more than 1,300 people from all over the world (a big number in the maritime space).

Then came the story that really moved things along: a TradeWinds splash – based on our report – entitled ‘Serious threat’ to safety as Paris MOU pulls its data feed.

As the end of the year approaches, we’re still pushing for the decision to be reversed, and for the Paris-based organisation to perform a genuine MoU-turn. If it does, then it will be a much happier new year for data transparency and maritime safety and security. Happy holidays.

Elliott Gotkine is Windward’s Director of Communications.