In order to facilitate safe and environmentally sound recycling without compromising the safety and operational efficiency of ships, the convention covers the design, construction, operation and maintenance of ships, and preparation for ship recycling.

Under the Treaty, ships to be sent for recycling are required to carry an inventory, specific to each ship, of hazardous materials.

Ship recycling yards are required to provide a plan for the recycling of ships, specifying the way each ship will be recycled, depending on its specifications and inventory.

Belgium, the Congo, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Serbia and Turkey are the sixteen countries which have joined the Treaty so far.

According to the IMO, the convention's sixteen contracting states now account for approximately 29.58 percent of the world's tonnage of merchant shipping.

The entry into force of the Convention is scheduled to be 24 months after ratification by 15 Nations, representing 40% of world merchant shipping by gross tonnage, combined with a maximum annual ship recycling volume of not less than 3% of the combined tonnage.

Maritime Business World