Maritime Labour Convention Marks 20 Years: ILO and IMO Reaffirm Commitment to Seafarers’ Rights
The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), a landmark treaty that has transformed working and living conditions for seafarers worldwide while promoting fair competition in global shipping.
Adopted on 23 February 2006 through a historic tripartite consensus involving governments, shipowners, and seafarers, the MLC, 2006 established a comprehensive global framework regulating employment conditions, wages, working hours, accommodation, health care, welfare, and social security for seafarers. Strong compliance and enforcement mechanisms have ensured that these standards are implemented effectively, contributing significantly to decent work at sea.
Over the past two decades, the Convention has delivered tangible improvements for millions of seafarers and has helped level the playing field for responsible shipowners by reducing unfair competition based on substandard labour practices. This, in turn, has strengthened the safety, efficiency, and resilience of maritime transport, a vital component of the global economy.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted seafarers as essential workers, emphasizing their critical role in maintaining the uninterrupted flow of goods worldwide. It also underscored the importance of enforcing the protections guaranteed under the MLC, 2006.
Despite progress, challenges persist, including unlawful attacks on ships, seafarer abandonment, fatigue, unpaid wages, denial of shore leave, and criminalization of seafarers. The MLC, 2006 is designed as a living instrument, able to adapt to new challenges through tripartite dialogue. The Special Tripartite Committee continues to review and amend the Convention to ensure it addresses emerging realities and continuously improves seafarers’ rights.
The ILO, supported by the IMO, reaffirms its commitment to global implementation of the MLC, 2006. Both organizations urge all states and industry stakeholders to uphold its standards, strengthen compliance, and collaborate to guarantee seafarers’ rights, fostering a fair, inclusive, and sustainable future for global shipping.
The IMO and ILO have jointly developed key guidelines to support seafarers, including protocols for dealing with abandonment, fair treatment following maritime accidents, and detentions related to alleged crimes. The IMO’s Legal Committee maintains “Fair treatment of seafarers” as a standing agenda item.
Additionally, the Joint ILO/IMO Tripartite Working Group (JTWG), established in 2022, addresses critical issues such as bullying, harassment, and sexual assault in the maritime sector, demonstrating the ongoing commitment to improving working conditions and safeguarding the human element in shipping.
Source: International Maritime Organization (IMO)
