All news: Shipping, fishing, inland waterways

Press release

The Swiss Confederation ratifies the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of its adoption

Switzerland is the 12th Member State, the 6th European country, and the first landlocked State with maritime interests, to ratify the MLC, 2006. The Swiss ratification gives a major boost to the ratification campaign launched by the ILO...

“Any fool can stuff a container?”: ILO to discuss safety in growing container industry

The container shipping market represents about 16 per cent of the world’s goods loaded in tonnes. With its growing market share, the risk of accidents also increases, says a report prepared for an ILO Global Dialogue Forum on Safety in the Supply...

Pacific regional tripartite workshop considered ILO Maritime Labour Convention

The workshop that was held in Nadi, Fiji from 27 to 29 October 2010 brought together seafarers, ship-owners and government labour and maritime officers from Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu to promote the...

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ratifies Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006)

Pacific Island Countries explore ratification of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention

The ILO Workshop on Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, is held on 27-29 October 2010.

Maritime Labour Convention

Implementing the Maritime Labour Convention is "almost there"

When the ILO adopted the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), in February 2006, Director-General Juan Somavia said the Organization had made "labour history" for the world's more than 1.2 million seafarers. Four years on, the Convention is...

Maritime Labour Convention

Canada joins other key maritime States to help bring seafarers' decent work Convention into force

The Government of Canada deposited its instrument of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 with the International Labour Office on 15 June. Canada is the first North American country to ratify this key maritime labour Convention,...

Opening message at the International Committee on Seafarer's Welfare 5th South East Asia Regional Welfare Committee Meeting

By Ms Linda Wirth, Director, ILO-Manila, Manila, Philippines

ILO Convention 185

Russia ratifies ILO’s Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention

The Russian Federation has ratified the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (No. 185) of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The Representative of the Russian Federation, Mr. Dmitry Gonchar, delivered Russia’s...

Maritime Labour Convention

EU Presidency holder Spain becomes first EU state to ratify key ILO Maritime Labour Convention

Spain, which currently holds the European Union Presidency, has become the first EU member state to ratify the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, in a major step toward bringing into force a new,...

International cooperation

Somalia: addressing the root causes of piracy and warlordism

Faced with a dramatic increase in piracy off the Horn of Africa, countries have stepped up their efforts to protect shipping in the region. However, attention is now turning more to the question of why people turn to piracy to make a living and what...

Ship breaking

ILO welcomes new regulations on ship breaking as crisis boosts the industry

After more than five years of negotiation, delegates from 59 countries to an International Maritime Organization (IMO) conference signed the Hong Kong Agreement regulating the recycling of ships on 15 May 2009. For the ILO, the agreement is an...

Achieving the seafarers' international bill of rights - half way there!

When the International Labour Organization adopted the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) on 23 February 2006, Director-General Juan Somavia called it a historic moment for the world’s more than 1.2 million seafarers. Three years later this key...

Maritime Labour Convention

Achieving the seafarers’ international bill of rights: more than half way there!

When the ILO adopted the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) on 23 February 2006, Director-General Juan Somavia called it a historic moment for the world’s more than 1.2 million seafarers. Three years on, in line with the ILO’s five-year Action Plan,...

Maritime Labour Convention

Norway ratifies ILO Maritime Labour Convention

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, H.E. Ms. Angell-Hansen, today deposited the instrument of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, with the International Labour Organization on behalf of her Government. Norway is the first...

Maritime Labour Convention

Panama Ratifies ILO Maritime Labour Convention

The Ambassador of the Republic of Panama, HE Mr. Juan Alberto Castillero, deposited the instrument of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 with the International Labour Organization. Panama, the largest flag State in the world, with...

Maritime sector

Proper ship breaking: a test for globalization and decent work

The last voyage of the ship "Otapan" to a Turkish ship breaking yard last July was a victory for "pre-cleaning" advocates of reducing the human and environmental dangers inherent in ship dismantling and recycling. But does it also lead to decent...

Getting ships in shape

As shipping increases, so does the need for more port State control

In response to an oil spill that fouled the west coast of France in 1978, European ministers took decisive action to establish a regional system for inspections of foreign ships in 1982. Yet the growing numbers of ship detentions in many ports...

Maritime Labour Convention

Maritime Labour Convention: Setting sail for a decent future

When the ILO adopted the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 in February 2006, Director-General Juan Somavia called it “making labour history” for the world’s more than 1.2 million seafarers. Two years on, the MLC has been ratified by three key flag...

Setting sail for a decent future

More than 300 senior representatives of seafarers, shipowners and governments are meeting in Geneva (15 to 26 September) to discuss the new Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC).The MLC is described as a “bill of rights” for the world’s more than...