Bangladesh Ready to Ratify Hong Kong Convention

The Bangladesh Government has confirmed that it will ratify the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships in the next few weeks, allowing for the Convention to enter into force.

BIMCO’s Secretary General and CEO, David Loosley visited Bangladesh as part of an industry delegation to discuss the benefits of the Convention entering into force. “BIMCO is delighted that Bangladesh has confirmed their commitment to ratifying the Convention in the very near future. The need for compliant facilities from the main recycling states such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan is critical due to the large number of ships expected to be recycled over the next 10 years.”

Several shipyards in the main recycling states have made significant efforts towards upgrading their facilities. BIMCO has previously called for the Convention to enter into force, and for yards already meeting the standards of the Hong Kong Convention to be added to the EU list of approved yards, as there are currently none outside of the EU on the list.

With the Hong Kong Convention entering into force, focus can increasingly turn to these facilities and increase the much-needed global recycling capacity at yards complying with universal standards. “The potential for adding to the circular economy is too large to be missed. The ship recycling industry provides thousands of jobs, and the steel is re-used, but it must comply with international safety and environmental regulations, and ship owners must choose to recycle at compliant yards only, to ensure that it is done safely. The Hong Kong Convention entering into force is a crucial step in the right direction,” Loosley said.

The Hong Kong Convention was developed over three and a half years in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the parties to the Basel Convention. It was adopted by 63 countries in 2009 and addresses safety, proper working conditions, environmental issues and how to deal with hazardous materials. Until now, the Convention has not been ratified by enough nations to enter into force.

The Convention is open for accession by any State. It will enter into force 24 months after the date on which 15 States, representing 40% of world merchant shipping by gross tonnage, have either signed it without reservation or have deposited instruments of ratification. Furthermore, the combined maximum annual ship recycling volume of those States must, during the preceding 10 years, constitute not less than 3% of their combined merchant shipping tonnage.