Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships has officially enterred into force, as of 26 June 2025.
Adopted under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Convention sets out legally binding regulations to ensure that ships reaching the end of their operational lives are dismantled in a way that protects human health and the environment.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez commented that it is the result of years of dedicated international cooperation and a renewed commitment to responsible ship lifecycle management.
The Convention covers: The design, construction, operation, and preparation of ships to ensure safe dismantling, the operation and regulation of ship recycling facilities and a comprehensive compliance framework, including certification, inspections, and reporting.
Key Provisions include: the ban or restriction of hazardous materials on ships, including asbestos, PCBs, ozone-depleting substances, and organotin compounds, mandatory inventories of hazardous materials onboard, strict safety and environmental requirements for ship recycling yards and certification and enforcement mechanisms to ensure global compliance.
There are currently 24 Parties to the Convention, including key flag states such as Japan, Liberia, the Marshall Islands, and Panama, as well as major ship recycling countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Türkiye.
Collectively, these Parties account for 57.15% of the world’s shipping by tonnage, ensuring wide-reaching impact.
Initially adopted in May 2009 at a Diplomatic Conference in Hong Kong, the Convention reached its entry-into-force threshold in 2023, with implementation set for 24 months later, now realized in 2025.
