UN Convention on Conditions for Registration of Ships

(asked on 8th March 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have not signed the UN Convention on Conditions for Registration of Ships; what assessment they have made, if any, of the impact of this decision on the UK’s maritime security; and what plans they have, if any, to reconsider this decision in the light of current geopolitical situation.


Answered by
Baroness Vere of Norbiton Portrait
Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
This question was answered on 16th March 2022

The 1986 United Nations Convention on Conditions for Registration of Ships set international standards for the registration of vessels in a national registry, including references to the genuine link, ownership, management, registration, accountability and the role of the flag State. The Convention was negotiated at the UN Conference on Trade and Development and for the Convention to enter into force it requires 40 signatories whose combined tonnage exceeds 25% of the world total.

As of March 2020, only 15 States had ratified or acceded to the Convention and Her Majesty’s Government sees little prospect of the Convention ever entering into force. Her Majesty’s Government does not consider that this has impacted our maritime security because the intent of the Convention has largely been met by legislative means in the United Kingdom including, but not limited to, The Merchant Shipping Act 1995, Safe Manning Regulations 1992, Ship Registration Regulations 1993, Regulations to implement The Maritime Labour Convention 2006, and Official Log Book requirements 1981.

The Secretary of State for Transport also wrote to all UK ports on 28 Feb 2022 asking them not to provide access to any Russian flagged, registered, owned, controlled, chartered, or operated vessels. Legislation has followed this and Her Majesty’s Government made specific Regulations to impose sanctions on ships with a strong Russian connection in light of the current geopolitical situation.

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