The Government of Jordan deposited with the International Labour Office the instrument of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006). Jordan’s decision to join up makes them the 73rd member State to have ratified this landmark Convention. Now over 80 per cent of the world gross tonnage of ships have signed up to MLC 2006.
Jordan, the first Middle East Arab country to have the ratified this landmark Convention, has a merchant fleet totalling 109,602 gross tonnage.The MLC, 2006 entered into force on 20 August 2013 for the first 30 member States that had registered their ratification by 20 August 2012. The Convention will enter into force for Jordan on 27 of April 2017, that is, one year after its ratification.
About MLC 2006
The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) is an International Labour Organization convention established in 2006 as the fourth pillar of international maritime law and embodies “all up-to-date standards of existing international maritime labour Conventions and Recommendations, as well as the fundamental principles to be found in other international labour Conventions”.[2] The other “pillars are the SOLAS, STCW and MARPOL. The treaties applies to all ships entering the harbours of parties to the treaty (port states), as well as to all states flying the flag of state party (flag states, as of 2013: 50 per cent).
The convention entered into force on 20 August 2013, one year after registering 30 ratifications of countries representing over 33 per cent of the world gross tonnage of ships.[1] Already after five ratifications the ratifying countries (Bahamas, Norway, Liberia, Marshall Islands, and Panama) represented over 43 per cent of the gross world tonnage[3] (which is over 33 per cent; the second requirement for entry into force). As of May 2016, the convention has been ratified by 73 states representing over 80 per cent of global shipping.
Although the Convention has not been ratified worldwide, it has widespread effect because vessels from non-signatory states that attempt to enter ports of signatory states may face arrest and penalties for non-compliance with the MLC.
