The Shipowners’ Association of the European Community (ECSA) reports that Bangladeshi authorities have pledged to ratify the Hong Kong Convention on the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships before summer, meaning that the Convention will finally enter into force, marking a leap forward to ensure proper recycling of ships.
ECSA Secretary General Sotiris Raptis visited Bangladesh as part of a delegation led by the Norwegian authorities to put focus on this important issue. It was during this visit that the Bangladeshi authorities made the pledge.
Raptis said: “We are very happy with this outcome. It is a clear priority for European shipowners to make sure that decommissioned ships are recycled in a safe and environmentally sound manner, and this ratification is a huge step in the right direction. We will then have a set of internationally binding regulations on the proper recycling of ships – that is good news.”
The Hong Kong Convention was first agreed in 2009, and it sets requirements for ships, shipyards, flag states and authorities to ensure that the recycling of ships takes place in a safe and environmentally friendly way. When the convention enters into force, the regulations will apply to all ships and shipyards, regardless of where the work to cut the ship takes place.
