The Governing Body of the International Labour Office (ILO) of the International Labour Organisation at its 324th (June) session approved the inclusion of the Russian Federation as the first ratifying Member to be listed as fully meeting the minimum requirements referred to in Article 5, paragraph 1, of the Convention, the Office said in a news release.
According to the seventh item on the agenda a Report of the Director-General was presented on Inclusion of the Russian Federation in the list to be established under Article 5, paragraph 6 of the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (No. 185)
Noting the positive conclusions of the independent evaluation report submitted by the Russian Federation in accordance with Article 5, paragraph 4, of Convention No. 185, of the ILO technical expert’s assessment and of the report of the Review Group established under arrangements adopted in accordance with Article 5, paragraph 6, of the Convention, the Governing Body approved the inclusion of the Russian Federation as the first ratifying Member to be listed as fully meeting the minimum requirements of the Convention.
1. Article 5 of the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (No. 185), establishes minimum requirements, for the protection of security and seafarers’ rights, concerning the processes and procedures of ratifying Members for the issuance of seafarers’ identity documents (SIDs). These requirements are set out, together with recommended procedures and practices, in Annex III to the Convention. In accordance with paragraph 4 of Article 5, each ratifying Member is to carry out an independent evaluation of the administration of its system for issuing SIDs at least every five years. Under paragraphs 6 and 7 of that Article, the Governing Body, acting on the basis of all relevant information in accordance with arrangements made by it, approves a list (referred to below as “the List”), which is to be available to all Members of the Organization, containing the names of Members which fully meet the minimum requirements referred to above. Accordingly, in 2005 the Governing Body adopted the Arrangements concerning the list of Members which fully meet the minimum requirements concerning processes and procedures for the issue of SIDs
2. In order to be included on the List under these Arrangements, ratifying Members must provide the Office with: a statement in electronic form outlining the national processes and procedures for issuing SIDs; a copy of the report on their first independent evaluation carried out under paragraph 4 of Article 5; and a specimen of the SID issued by them. The normal procedure is for the Office to examine the dossier, having recourse to necessary expertise, and to invite comments from the shipowners’ and seafarers’ organizations in the countries concerned. The Office then forwards the dossier to a Review Group, composed of four members appointed by the Governing Body, of which two represent ratifying countries, one is nominated by the international organization of shipowners and one is nominated by the international organization of seafarers. The dossier consists of the documentation provided by the Member concerned, a copy of the opinion of the Office’s expert and other relevant material, any relevant comments and statements received, and the Office’s assessment of the adequacy of the independent evaluation report, as well as the Office’s conclusions as to whether or not the Member concerned fully meets the minimum requirements. The Review Group acts solely through electronic correspondence and takes decisions on the basis of consensus.
3. Only one ratifying country, the Russian Federation, has so far provided the Office with the required comprehensive documentation. After inviting comments from the shipowners’ and seafarers’ organizations in the Russian Federation, the Office carefully reviewed the documentation provided, including the specimen SID, for compliance with each of the mandatory requirements in Annex III to the Convention. The Office concluded that the institution chosen by the Government to carry out the evaluation required by Article 5, paragraph 4, of the Convention possessed the necessary competence and independence, that the independent evaluation report and other documents showed that the processes and procedures of the Russian Federation fully satisfied the minimum requirements set out in Annex III to the Convention and that, in all material respects, the sample SID fully met the mandatory requirements for a SID issued under Convention No. 185. This assessment and conclusion was presented to the Review Group by the Office’s technical expert, Dr John W.M. Campbell, in a detailed summary of the documentation provided by the Member, which referred to the relevant provisions of Annex III to the Convention and to the corresponding information in the independent evaluation report
Draft decision
Noting the positive conclusions of the independent evaluation report submitted by the Russian Federation in accordance with Article 5, paragraph 4, of Convention No. 185, of the ILO technical expert’s assessment and of the report of the Review Group established under arrangements adopted in accordance with Article 5, paragraph 6, of the Convention, the Governing Body approves the inclusion of the Russian Federation as the first ratifying Member to be listed as fully meeting the minimum requirements referred to in Article 5, paragraph 1, of the Convention.