By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The International Labour Organization, ILO, and the International Maritime Organization, IMO, have reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring decent work and fair competition across the global shipping industry.

This came as they marked the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006).

Adopted on 23 February 2006 through an unprecedented tripartite consensus at the International Maritime Labour Conference, the Convention brought together governments, shipowners, and seafarers to establish a comprehensive framework regulating working and living conditions at sea. It has since become a cornerstone of international maritime governance.

Over the past two decades, the MLC, 2006 has set enforceable minimum standards covering conditions of employment, wages, hours of work and rest, accommodation, medical care, welfare, and social security for seafarers. 

Backed by robust compliance and enforcement mechanisms, the Convention has contributed significantly to advancing decent work for millions of seafarers worldwide.

The treaty has also helped level the playing field for responsible shipowners by curbing unfair competition based on substandard labour conditions. In doing so, it has strengthened safety, efficiency, and resilience in maritime transport-a vital pillar of the global economy.

The agencies noted that the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the indispensable role of seafarers as key workers, ensuring the uninterrupted movement of essential goods across the globe. 

The crisis also exposed gaps in protections, highlighting the need for full and effective implementation of the Convention’s provisions.

Despite progress, challenges persist. Seafarers continue to face unlawful attacks on ships, abandonment, criminalisation, fatigue, unpaid wages, and denial of shore leave. However, the MLC, 2006 was designed as a living instrument, capable of adapting to emerging realities through tripartite dialogue.

The Convention’s Special Tripartite Committee has demonstrated its ability to adopt amendments to keep standards up to date and responsive to evolving industry conditions and workers’ needs.

Reaffirming their joint commitment, the ILO and IMO called on member-states and industry stakeholders to uphold the Convention’s standards, strengthen compliance mechanisms, and work collaboratively to safeguard seafarers’ rights while promoting a fair, inclusive, and sustainable future for global shipping.