Decision on the fourth item on the agenda: Outcome of the Meeting of Experts concerning the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (No. 185) (Geneva, 4–6 February 2015)

Record of decisions | 25 March 2015

Decision on the fourth item on the agenda: Outcome of the Meeting of Experts concerning the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (No. 185) (Geneva, 4–6 February 2015)

The Governing Body:

(a) took note of the general conclusion and the recommendations of the Tripartite Meeting of Experts concerning Convention No. 185 contained in the appendix to document GB.323/LILS/4;

(b) decided, subject to the necessary financial arrangements being made:

(i) to constitute an Ad Hoc Tripartite Maritime Committee and convene a meeting of this Committee in 2016 for the amendment of Convention No. 185, with the task of making proposals, based on the recommendations of the Meeting of Experts, for appropriate amendments to the Annexes to Convention No. 185 with a view to their submission for adoption by the International Labour Conference in accordance with Article 8, paragraph 1, of Convention No. 185;

(ii) to fix the composition of the Ad Hoc Tripartite Maritime Committee as follows: 64 representatives appointed by the Governing Body, 32 of whom would be designated by the Governments; 16 by the Shipowners’ group and 16 by the Seafarers’ group; and

(iii) that the Ad Hoc Tripartite Maritime Committee would meet in 2016 immediately before or after the Special Tripartite Committee established under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006;

(c) decided to place on the agenda of the International Labour Conference at its 105th Session in 2016 an item entitled “Amendment of the Annexes to the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (No. 185)”;

(d) recommended, in the light of the proposed amendments, which referenced current technology making it easier to implement Convention No. 185, that Members which had not ratified Convention No. 185 should now do so, especially those that had ratified the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention, 1958 (No. 108);

(e) requested the Director-General to seek the assistance of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in drawing the attention of all States parties to the IMO Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic, 1965, as amended (the FAL Convention), to facilitate shore leave for seafarers without the need for a visa, as provided for in the FAL Convention.

(Document GB.323/LILS/4, paragraph 3.)