Labour standards

ILO launches new Maritime Labour Convention database

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a comprehensive new database providing the most up-to -date information available on the implementation of the landmark Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, which came into force on 20 August.

News | 04 September 2013
The database provides a vital resource for governments, seafarers, ship owners and others in the maritime sector and is expected to grow rapidly, as certain provisions of the MLC, 2006 require ratifying Member States to communicate to the ILO Director-General, for further dissemination, specific information on how the Convention is applied in national law and practice.

The Independent ILO Committee of Experts on the application of Conventions and Recommendations is mandated to review how countries that have ratified comply with their international obligations.

The ILO has encouraged Member States to provide up-to-date information on national implementation and enforcement in order to keep the database current and accurate as possible. Data is provided in a reader-friendly format in English, French and Spanish.

The Maritime Labour Convention was adopted by a special ILO International Labour Conference in 2006, setting out decent working and living conditions for seafarers while ensuring a level playing field for quality shipowners. To date, 46 ILO Member States representing more than 76 percent of the world’s gross global tonnage of shipping, have ratified the Convention.

The development of the MLC, 2006 database is still on-going.The database may be accessed at /dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:80001:0.
Contents of the database include:

- National determinations - any determinations which may have been made with respect to: (i) cases of doubt as to whether any categories of persons are to be regarded as seafarers for the purpose of the Convention; (ii) cases of doubt as to whether the Convention applies to a particular category of ships; and (iii) exclusion of particular categories of ships from the application of certain details of the Code subject to the conditions set out in Article II, paragraph 6 (Article II, paragraph 7, of the MLC, 2006);

- Branches of social security- specifications which are required at the time of ratification concerning the branches of social security for which protection is provided (Standard A4.5, paragraph 10, of the MLC, 2006);

- Authorization of recognized organizations - a current list of any recognized organizations authorized to carry out inspection and certification functions on its behalf (Standard A5.1.2, paragraph 4, of the MLC, 2006);

- Port State inspections - port State authorities have the possibility to transmit a copy of the authorized officer’s report established where, following a more detailed inspection, the working and living conditions on the ship in question were found not to conform to the requirements of the Convention (Standard A5.2.1, paragraph 5, of the MLC, 2006);

- Complaints - a copy of the authorized officer’s report in connection with any unresolved complaints, as well as statistics and information regarding complaints that have been resolved (Standard A5.2.2, paragraph 6, of the MLC, 2006).