Dick Brus, Directorate for Maritime Affairs of the Netherlands, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters, London, to deposit the instrument of acceptance of Hong Kong Convention, on February 20, 2019.
The Netherlands has become the eighth country to ratify the convention for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling.
Belgium, Denmark, Congo, France, Norway, Panama and Turkey are also acceded to the treaty.
The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships covers the design, construction, operation and maintenance of ships, and preparation for ship recycling in order to facilitate safe and environmentally sound recycling, without compromising the safety and operational efficiency of ships.
Under the treaty, ships to be sent for recycling are required to carry an inventory of hazardous materials, specific to each ship. Ship recycling yards are required to provide a ship recycling Plan, specifying the manner in which each ship will be recycled, depending on its particulars and its inventory.
The Hong Kong Convention will enter into force in 24 months after ratification by 15 states, representing 40 percent of world merchant shipping by gross tonnage, and a combined maximum annual ship recycling volume not less than 3 percent of their combined tonnage.
