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Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention, 1958 (No. 108) - Cameroon (RATIFICATION: 1982)

The Committee notes the Government’s report and the adoption of Regulation No. 03/01-UEAC-088-CM-06 of 3 August 2001 approving the revised Community Code on Merchant Shipping of the Monetary and Economic Community of Central Africa (CEMAC Code). It draws the Government’s attention to the following points.

Article 2, paragraph 1, of the Convention. Issuance of seafarers’ identity documents. According to section 330 of the CEMAC Code on Merchant Shipping, every seafarer embarking on a vessel receives, as appropriate, either a maritime identity card or a seafarer’s book. The Committee asks the Government to indicate any existing differences between the maritime identity card and the seafarer’s book, and clarify in which cases and for what reasons a maritime identity card would rather be issued than a seafarer’s book.

Article 4. Form and content of the seafarers’ identity document. The Committee requests the Government to supply, with its next report, a specimen of the maritime identity card and of the seafarer’s book. It also asks the Government to give particulars of the consultations held pursuant to paragraph 6 of this Article, which provides for consultations with the shipowners’ and seafarers’ organizations concerned, in order to determine the precise form and content of the seafarer’s identity document.

Article 5. Readmission to the territory. According to section 306(2) of the CEMAC Code on Merchant Shipping, any seafarer entered in the register of a Member State of the Monetary and Economic Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) may be embarked on a vessel flying the flag of a CEMAC Member State. Section 328 of the Code provides that one of the required conditions is to be a national of the State in which registration is requested. Nationals of landlocked CEMAC Member States, however, may request to be entered in the seafarer’s register of any coastal CEMAC Member State. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether each seafarer who is national of a landlocked CEMAC Member State and a holder of a valid seafarer’s identity document issued by Cameroon, is readmitted to Cameroon. It also asks the Government to indicate whether, after any fixed date of expiry of the validity of his seafarer’s identity document, such seafarer would be readmitted to Cameroon.

Article 6. Entry into the territory. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether Cameroon authorizes the entry into its territory of any seafarer in possession of a valid seafarer’s identity document when entry is requested for temporary shore leave while the ship is in port.