15 April 2026, Copenhagen – The All-Aboard Alliance, a community of maritime companies committed to improving lives at sea, has launched a project to develop a global framework for companies to better identify, prevent, and respond to unwanted sexual behaviour aboard vessels.
There is strong evidence that sexual misconduct at sea is both widespread and significantly underreported; a 2025 report found that 80% of seafarers surveyed had experienced or witnessed a sexual offence at sea within the last five years alone.
This new initiative, called Unspoken, will gather stories from seafarers about their personal experiences with sexual misconduct at sea. These stories will then inform the development of the industry’s first consistent, global framework for companies to better assess the severity of incidents and respond proportionately.
“Improving conditions for our seafaring teams means needing to confront some of the uncomfortable truths about the realities of life at sea. In doing so, we are working towards making the maritime sector a more attractive career path,” said Mikael Skov, CEO of Hafnia and All Aboard Alliance Co-Chair. “Many Alliance member companies are already working hard to strengthen their internal processes around sexual misconduct. With Unspoken, we have a strong opportunity for a promising framework that the industry, and most importantly, seafarers, will benefit from.”
Through Unspoken, seafarers can anonymously share parts or all of their personal stories, some of which will then be shared publicly on the website to showcase the scale of the issue and challenge the silence that often surrounds it.
Importantly, the data collected will help the Alliance better understand different forms of misconduct, how incidents are assessed and responded to, and how prevention measures can be strengthened.
“Lack of data and visibility is a significant issue for the maritime industry, particularly when it comes to issues as sensitive and hidden as sexual misconduct,” says Meei Wong, CEO of Circle Digital Ventures and All Aboard Alliance Co-Chair. “The Alliance is therefore beginning this process by listening to seafarers to better understand where systems fail and succeed. Incorporating seafarer perspectives from the outset will ensure the framework is grounded in lived experience, making it more likely to be genuinely impactful.”
More than two years in the making, the future framework will be the first global standard developed by the All Aboard Alliance in line with its new 2030 strategy. Its purpose will be to support maritime companies in taking more effective, consistent action, ultimately making life at sea safer for everyone.
Unspoken has been generously funded by The Seafarers’ Charity, which supports projects and organisations working to improve the safety, well-being, and quality of life of seafarers and their families worldwide.
Further information about Unspoken:
Unspoken is not a reporting platform, a whistleblower, or an emergency service.
The website includes a trigger warning and links to external support resources for those who need them. Contributors may stop viewing content at any time.
Stories will undergo review and approval before any are published to the Unspoken website. No graphic content or company-level attribution will be published.
No personally identifiable information is collected during submission. All stories will be anonymised, then aggregated and analysed collectively.
Project partners include The Seafarers’ Charity (funders), SAFETY4SEA (media partner), Mission to Seafarers, SaferWaves, ISWAN, Sailors’ Society, TURTLE, and UK Women in Fisheries.
ENDS
Contact: Nicole Schlichting, Senior Communications Manager
+45 31 26 19 25 | nsc@globalmaritimeforum.org
The All Aboard Alliance brings together leading maritime companies committed to improving lives at sea. By working collectively across the value chain, the Alliance seeks to strengthen working conditions, advance health and well-being, foster inclusion, and support sustainable career pathways in global shipping. Through collaboration and shared accountability, member companies work to raise standards and drive measurable progress across these areas, helping ensure that the maritime industry remains safe, attractive, and resilient for the decades ahead.