Ghana moves to ratify ILO Seafarers ID Convention - It’ll boost maritime jobs

 The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has intensified efforts to ratify the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (No. 185), a move expected to eliminate longstanding travel bottlenecks faced by Ghanaian maritime workers.

The convention, adopted by the ILO, introduces a secure biometric identity document specifically designed for seafarers.

This was revealed at the opening session of a stakeholder engagement put together by the GMA in Accra last Monday.

The advanced identification system will enable Ghanaian seafarers to move more easily across international borders, facilitating smoother crew changes, ship assignments and access to shore leave.

Once ratified, the convention is expected to enhance the global employability of Ghana’s maritime workforce while strengthening the competitiveness of the country’s shipping industry.

The core idea is to ensure that seafarers are issued with an identity card that allows them easier entry into countries when their ships dock at ports around the world.

Event

The forum provided a valuable platform to deliberate on Convention C185, which is central to enhancing seafarer identification, maritime security and the ease of movement for seafarers across international borders.

It brought together representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Transport Ministry, Ghana Merchants Association, the Alternative Permanent Representative and staff of the GMA.

Swift ratification

Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the GMA, Dr Kamal-Deen Ali who is also Retired Naval Captain, called for urgent and collective action to ratify the ILO’s Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention, describing the moment as critical for Ghana’s maritime and seafaring industries.

Dr Ali emphasised that the maritime sector was inherently global, requiring seafarers to move seamlessly across borders to support international trade and operations.

However, he said Ghana’s failure to ratify the convention, more than two decades after its adoption in 2003, had hindered the mobility and livelihoods of Ghanaian seafarers.

Dr Ali explained that the convention provided a secure, biometric identity system that enabled countries to verify and trust seafarers, thereby facilitating their movement worldwide.

He said without it, Ghanaian seafarers faced significant travel challenges, affecting their employability and ability to represent the country internationally.

Global competitiveness

Mr Fideli, who spoke on behalf of the Transport Minister, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, emphasised the government’s commitment to ratifying the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention as part of efforts to strengthen Ghana’s maritime sector.

"Government is deliberately positioning the maritime sector as a pathway to help care and employment by creating opportunities for Ghanaian seafarers on the international labour market”.

“As part of this effort, we are putting in place the necessary systems to ensure that Ghana captures a meaningful share in the global supply of maritime labour," he added.

"However, as we pursue this objective, we must also ensure that our seafarers remain globally competitive," Mr Fideli said.