Labour standards
Seychelles ratifies the ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006)
The Republic of Seychelles is the 55th ILO member State of the ILO to ratify the Convention, and the fourth among the States parties to the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for the Indian Ocean Region –after Australia, France and South Africa.
On 7 January 2014, the Government of the Republic of Seychelles deposited with the International Labour Office the instrument of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006). The Republic of Seychelles is the 55th ILO member State of the ILO to ratify the Convention, and the fourth among the States parties to the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for the Indian Ocean Region –after Australia, France and South Africa. To date, the States that have ratified the MLC, 2006 represent approximately 80 per cent of the world gross tonnage of ships.
In welcoming the instrument of ratification, Ms Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, Director of the International Labour Standards Department stated: “I wish to congratulate the Government of Seychelles not only for having become party to this innovative and extremely important instrument for an island-State but also for having systematically planned and completed all the different steps towards ratification and effective implementation of that Convention. Over the past years, the Government of Seychelles, with the assistance of the Office, initiated the process with a gap analysis that identified the level of conformity of the existing maritime legislation and the provisions of the MLC, 2006. This work was then examined and validated by the country’s tripartite constituents and later facilitated legislative drafting and the adoption of the necessary amendments to relevant laws and regulations. Having laid such solid foundations for MLC, 2006 implementation, Seychelles, I believe, is now well prepared to “navigate” through the new Convention which aims at establishing a level playing field for quality shipowners and ensuring worldwide protection of the rights of seafarers.”
The MLC, 2006 entered into force on 20 August 2013 for the first 30 member States that had registered their ratification by 20 August 2012. The Convention will enter into force for Seychelles on 7 January 2015, that is, one year after its ratification. For more background information, please visit the dedicated MLC webpage at /mlc.
In welcoming the instrument of ratification, Ms Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, Director of the International Labour Standards Department stated: “I wish to congratulate the Government of Seychelles not only for having become party to this innovative and extremely important instrument for an island-State but also for having systematically planned and completed all the different steps towards ratification and effective implementation of that Convention. Over the past years, the Government of Seychelles, with the assistance of the Office, initiated the process with a gap analysis that identified the level of conformity of the existing maritime legislation and the provisions of the MLC, 2006. This work was then examined and validated by the country’s tripartite constituents and later facilitated legislative drafting and the adoption of the necessary amendments to relevant laws and regulations. Having laid such solid foundations for MLC, 2006 implementation, Seychelles, I believe, is now well prepared to “navigate” through the new Convention which aims at establishing a level playing field for quality shipowners and ensuring worldwide protection of the rights of seafarers.”
The MLC, 2006 entered into force on 20 August 2013 for the first 30 member States that had registered their ratification by 20 August 2012. The Convention will enter into force for Seychelles on 7 January 2015, that is, one year after its ratification. For more background information, please visit the dedicated MLC webpage at /mlc.