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Starting from June 26, 2025, ships that have reached the end of their operational life will need to be recycled in a way that is both safe and environmentally friendly. This is due to the enforcement of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, which lays down essential regulations to govern ship recycling practices.
The Hong Kong Convention, developed under the guidance of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), addresses multiple aspects including the design, construction, operation, and training related to ships. Its aim is to enhance safe and environmentally responsible recycling operations, ensuring that ship recycling facilities adhere to proper enforcement mechanisms. This includes requirements for surveys, authorizations, certifications, inspections, and reporting.
IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez highlighted that the implementation of the Hong Kong Convention this year represents a significant milestone in our collective efforts to promote sustainable and safe ship recycling practices globally. This achievement is the result of years of hard work and will reinvigorate our commitment to protecting human health and the environment in this crucial industry.
Addressing hazardous materials and working conditions is a key focus. Most ships are recycled when they are decommissioned, with nearly all materials and equipment being repurposed or recycled. The Hong Kong Convention tackles essential environmental and occupational health risks associated with ship recycling, distributing responsibilities among relevant parties including shipowners, shipbuilding yards, recycling facilities, flag states, port states, and recycling states.
Among other initiatives, the Convention restricts or bans the use of hazardous materials on ships, such as asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, ozone-depleting substances, and certain antifouling compounds. It mandates detailed inventories of hazardous materials and outlines requirements for ship recycling facility operations, including safe working conditions at recycling yards. Additionally, it establishes robust mechanisms for compliance certification and enforcement.
To assist member states in implementing these guidelines, the IMO has initiated several workshops aimed at raising awareness of the Convention worldwide. Moreover, the organization is working closely with countries to help them build their capabilities and lay the groundwork necessary for ratification and effective implementation of the Convention. This effort is part of the ongoing Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling (SENSREC) Project, which is financially supported by the Government of Norway. The project offers extensive support to nations, ranging from policy alignment and institutional mechanism creation to capacity building related to sustainable technical, social, and environmental practices. Currently, SENSREC is active in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships was adopted during a Diplomatic Conference in Hong Kong, China, in May 2009. The criteria for its enforcement were met in 2023, with the Convention set to take effect 24 months later, on June 26, 2025. Several ship recycling nations have already begun to implement the Convention's technical standards voluntarily. As it stands, there are 24 parties to the Convention, including major flag states like Japan, Liberia, the Marshall Islands, and Panama, as well as four significant ship recycling countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Turkey. Together, they account for 57.15% of the world's shipping by tonnage.
The Convention was developed under the auspices of the IMO, with input from both intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.
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