The International Labour Organization (ILO) has initiated a comprehensive diagnostic study of Pakistan’s ship recycling value chain, aiming to enhance occupational safety, and facilitate a green transition within the sector. This effort is part of the Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling and Decent Work (SENSREC-DW) project, a collaboration between the ILO and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The study seeks to map stakeholders, identify policy gaps, and assess training needs, particularly in light of Pakistan’s ratification of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, which entered into force last week with not a single Pakistani yard yet compliant with the new regulation.
By aligning with international standards, the ILO initiative aims to modernise practices at shipbreaking yards like Gadani, one of the world’s largest, where workers have historically faced hazardous conditions.
Pakistan’s federal minister for maritime affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced last week the approval of Rs12bn ($43m) in belated funds to get the country’s Gadani shipbreaking area up to speed with the new Hong Kong shipbreaking regulation.
