The Panama Maritime Authority supported the proposals for amendments presented to the Maritime Labor Convention, aiming to improve the living and working conditions of seafarers.
A total of twelve proposals were presented, of which eight were approved by the social partners that are part of the Special Tripartite Committee, two were withdrawn by the group that proposed them and two were postponed for discussion in the next Committee, to be held in 2025.
These proposed amendments grew out of lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and their approval will ensure that:
The amendments adopted by the Special Tripartite Committee will be presented for official approval at the next meeting of the International Labor Conference, which will take place from May 27 to June 11, 2022. If approved, they should enter into force in December 2024.
In addition, three resolutions related to:
In the plenary sessions, Panama made clear its unconditional support to guarantee the recognition of the rights of seafarers who work on board its ships, exalting the responsibility of flag states and port governing states to achieve this end.
Panama also supported the amendment proposal to unify and establish the maximum period of service on board for seafarers.
