MLC 2006: How will respect for the new Convention actually be enforced?

The new Convention is intended to achieve more compliance by operators and owners of ships and to strengthen enforcement of standards through mechanisms which operate at all levels.

For example, it contains provisions for:

• complaint procedures available to seafarers;
• ship owners’ and shipmasters’ supervision of conditions on their ships;
• flag States’ jurisdiction and control over their ships;
• port State inspections of foreign ships.
• by requiring ratifying Members not only to implement the Convention in the national laws but also to document their implementation, the Convention should also enhance the effectiveness of the supervision carried out at the international level, especially by the competent bodies of the ILO.