Slovenia ratifies ILO Maritime Labour Convention

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia deposited with the International Labour Office the instrument of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006). Slovenia is the 72nd member State to have ratified this landmark Convention.

The MLC, 2006 consolidates and revises all except four of the previous maritime labour instruments adopted by the ILO between 1920 and 1996, bringing them into a single Convention with a new format and with new features, like the certification of seafarers’ living and working conditions. The two basic aims of the MLC, 2006 are to ensure comprehensive worldwide protection of the rights of seafarers, as well as to establish a level playing field for countries and shipowners committed to providing decent working and living conditions for seafarers, protecting them from unfair competition on the part of substandard ships.

In depositing the instrument of ratification, Ambassador Vojislav Šuc, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, stated:

“It is a great honour to present the instrument of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. I am confident that the Republic of Slovenia will not only fulfil the obligations to effectively implement the Convention, but will also drive global efforts to promote compliance with the Convention throughout the world with the aim to improving the working and living conditions of the world’s seafarers.”

In receiving the instrument of ratification, Mr Guy Ryder, Director-General of the ILO, stated:

“The ratification of the MLC, 2006 by Slovenia, a country with a growing maritime industry, adds itself to the 22 other ratifications already received from European Union countries and brings us even closer to the collective ratification of the Convention by all EU member States. I am confident that the countries which have not yet ratified the Convention will soon follow the example of Slovenia. The Office remains prepared to offer every possible assistance to the Government and its social partners as they will be moving from ratification to the effective implementation of the Convention.”
Slovenia’s main port of Koper is the largest container port of the Adriatic. Connecting Central Europe to the sea, it saw 20,711,872 tonnes of cargo transiting through it last year alone and sees increasing throughput every year.

Source : ILO