Committee urged to address the legal inconsistencies between the Hong ...

Committee urged to address the legal inconsistencies between the Hong Kong Convention and the Basel Convention

Published: 07 October 2024

IMO member states in attendance at the 82nd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 82) had extensive discussions on the need for more legal certainty on the application of the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) before entry into force in June 2025 and its relationship with the Basel Convention (BC). Provisional guidance was approved by the Committee which seeks to begin to clarify the relationship and will be forwarded to the Basel Convention Secretariat.

The provisional guidance recommends that states that are party to both conventions, with the understanding that the provisions of the BC should not affect the transboundary movement (TBM) that takes place pursuant to the HKC, should consider notifying the BC secretariat that it will apply the HKC requirements in respect of the TBM of ships intended to be recycled at a facility that has been authorised under HKC. It is expected the issue will be discussed at the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (Basel COP) at their 17th meeting in Geneva in 2025. The IMO Secretariat General implored member states to ensure that they work internally to ensure messages about the applicability of the Hong Kong Convention are taken to the Basel COP.

A presentation was made by the BIMCO secretariat to raise awareness of the issue and industry concerns among member States and we will continue to support member states and all other interested parties with understanding this complex issue.

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