Today - 20 August 2013 - is a historic day for the ILO,
with the coming into force of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006).
Today, this "seafarers' bill of rights", as it is often described,
will become a binding international instrument
and will apply to ships and seafarers representing nearly 60% of the world fleet.
This is a remarkable achievement,
but even more encouraging is that
as the rate of ratification keeps gathering momentum,
the Convention will, in the next year,
cover well over 70% of the world's ships and seafarers.
So why is the MLC 2006 such a key instrument?
For two very important reasons:
First, because it seeks to ensure decent work
for the approximately 1.5 million seafarers around the world.
These are the people who make shipping,
and an increasingly important form of tourism and recreational activity, possible.
Second, because it provides a level playing field
for quality shipowners,
ensuring that decent working conditions go hand in hand with fair competition.
This convention shows how tripartite dialogue and international cooperation
can operate constructively for the most globalized of all industries
by concretely addressing the challenges
to securing decent working and living conditions for seafarers
while simultaneously helping to ensure fair competition conditions for shipowners.
The MLC 2006 consolidates almost all
of the ILO's Maritime Labour Conventions and Recommendations adopted since 1920,
which amount to more than 70.
But we set the bar extremely high for this Convention.
The requirements for its entry into force were the most stringent of any ILO Convention:
It called for ratification by at least 30 member States
with a total share in the world gross tonnage of ships of at least 33%.
This was intentional.
We wanted to make sure this Convention had very strong backing by the maritime sector
--
and especially from flag States - before it came into force.
On 20 August 2013,
all commercially operated ships of 500 gross tonnage,
that fly the flag of the 30 countries that brought the MLC 2006 into force
will be required to carry, among other things,
two specific documents:
the Maritime Labour Certificate (MLC)
and the Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance (DMLC).
These documents will provide prima facie evidence
that ships are in compliance with the requirements of the Convention,
including on areas such as minimum age, seafarers' employment agreements,
hours of work or rest, payment of wages, onboard medical care,
the use of licensed private recruitment and placement services,
accommodation, and food and catering.
I want to thank all those who have worked so hard since February 2006,
when the Convention was adopted at a special session of the International Labour Conference.
Today's achievement would not have been possible
without the strong commitment from seafarers, shipowners and governments.
But of course, our work is not done.
I want to take the opportunity to call on all countries with a maritime interest
that have not yet ratified the Convention to do so at their earliest possible convenience.
And I urge governments and shipowners to work effectively to implement the Convention.
The ILO is ready to continue its work with you
as we have done over the past 7 years.
Together we can continue to improve an industry
that is vital to the world economy.
Together we can make decent work a reality on the seas.