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Bahamas’ Instrument
of Ratification to the International Labour Organization Maritime
Labour Convention
Minister Dion Foulkes
Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am very honoured to welcome
you all to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of the
presentation ceremony of the Bahamas’ Instrument of Ratification to
the International Labour Organization Maritime Labour Convention. I
am especially pleased to welcome Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry,
Director of the International Labour Standards Department of the
International Labour Organization, back to the Bahamas for this
auspicious occasion.
I am told that the Maritime
Labour Convention that sets out the conditions for decent work in an
increasingly globalised maritime sector was adopted on 23 February
2006 at the 94th International Labour Conference. The new
convention consolidates and updates 68 existing ILO Maritime
Conventions and Recommendations adopted since 1920.
Among the novel features of
the convention are its form and structure, which includes legally
binding standards accompanied by non-mandatory guidelines. It
departs significantly from that of traditional ILO Conventions. The
Convention is to become what has been called the "fourth pillar" of
the international regulatory regime for shipping, complementing the
key Conventions of the international Maritime Organization.
The Convention sets minimum
requirements for seafarers to work on a ship and contains provisions
on conditions of employment, hours of work and rest, accommodation,
recreational facilities, food and catering, health protection,
medical care, welfare and social security protection. Compliance and
enforcement are secured through a number of mechanisms such as
onboard and onshore complaint procedures for seafarers; through
provisions regarding ship owners’ and shipmasters’ supervision of
conditions on their ships, flag States’ jurisdiction and control
over their ships, as well as port state inspection of foreign ships.
The convention also provides for a maritime Labour certificate,
which can be issued to ships once the flag state has verified that
Labour conditions on board a ship comply with national laws and
regulations implementing the convention.
As you are all aware, The
Bahamas ship registry has over 1700 vessels, including cargo
vessels, passenger cruise ships, tankers, bulk carriers,
refrigerated cargo vessels, offshore drill units and container
ships. This amounts to some 43 million gross tons, making The
Bahamas registry the third largest in the world.
The Bahamas has been a member
of the international Maritime Organization Council since 1999 in
category ‘C’ and a party to its principal safety and environmental
conventions.
Similarly, The Bahamas is
party to most major International Labour Organization Conventions.
The signing and ratification of this convention today is another
clear indication of The Bahamas ongoing commitment to maritime
safety and good Labour practice.
Indeed, a well-trained
maritime Labour force governed by just, fair and equitable laws will
not only redound to the good quality of the register but will also
ensure the sustainability of best practice and standards in maritime
affairs.
The Bahamas is pleased to be
amongst the first countries to ratify this important Convention,
which speaks emphatically to our strong commitment to be in the
forefront of maritime safety in an ever-changing sector.
We would also like to take
this opportunity to applaud the ILO for its leadership with this
groundbreaking Convention and to encourage other countries to ratify
it as soon as possible.
Thank you. |
