Following the ratification by Bangladesh and Liberia on 26 June 2023, the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (hereinafter referred to as “The Hong Kong Convention”), adopted on 15 May 2009 under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), will enter into force on 26 June 2025. The Hong Kong Convention aims to ensure a ship recycling mechanism appropriate for the preservation of workers’ health and compatible with environmental sustainability.
Upon entry into force of the Hong Kong Convention, ships will be required to prepare a specific recycling plan, as well as to keep an inventory of hazardous materials on board.
The Hong Kong Convention now has twenty-two contracting parties (Bangladesh, Belgium, Republic of the Congo, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Japan, Liberia, Luxemburg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Serbia, Spain, Turkey) which represent the 45,81 percent of the gross tonnage of the world’s merchant fleet.
Prof. Avv. Stefano Zunarelli, Founding Partner (e-mail: stefano.zunarelli@studiozunarelli.com).
