CMNT_TITLE

Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention, 1958 (No. 108) - Latvia (RATIFICATION: 1993)

Article 5 of the Convention. Readmission to a territory. The Committee notes the Government’s information that amendments to Regulation No. 992 of 20 December 2005 on the Seaman’s Discharge Book, were adopted on 20 February 2018. It also notes the text of the amended legislation supplied by the Government, as well as the statistics provided with regard to seafarers’ discharge books issued and cancelled up to 1 June 2022. The Committee notes that, in reply to its previous comments on the application of Article 5, the Government indicates that a State which has ratified the Convention shall be bound by its provisions. In accordance with the provisions of Article 13 of the Law on International Treaties of the Republic of Latvia, if an international treaty ratified by the Saeima (the Parliament) contains different provisions than legal acts of the Republic of Latvia, the provisions of the international treaty shall apply. Accordingly, the provisions of the Article 5 of the Convention are in force in the country even if they have not been transposed into other national laws and regulations. The Government further indicates that the sub-paragraph 7.3.3 of the State Border Guard Order No. 679 of 21 May 2020 provides that a seafarer’s identity document (a seaman’s discharge book) shall be deemed to be invalid only if more than one year has passed after the expiry date specified in the document. The Committee takes note of this information.