On October 31, 2024, the 3rd ASEAN-China Seminar on the implementation of Maritime Labour Convention,2006 concluded in Guangzhou. The meeting resulted in the formation and adoption of the Initiative to Promote the Effective Implementation and Cooperation of the Amended Maritime Labour Convention,2006 under the ‘ASEAN-China Maritime Consultative Mechanism'. The initiative has received the endorsement of the International Labour Organization (ILO) China and Mongolia Bureau and the ASEAN Secretariat. Under this initiative, the maritime authorities of China and ASEAN member states will establish a permanent working group to further strengthen cooperation in the field of maritime labour. Key areas of focus will include enhancing information exchange and sharing, advancing policy coordination and regulatory alignment, improving enforcement capacity and technical support, promoting corporate social responsibility and seafarers' welfare, and fostering regional cooperation in research and innovation. The goal is to promote the effective implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention,2006 by China and ASEAN member states.

The seminar was hosted by the Maritime Safety Administration of the People’s Republic of China and organized by the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration. Experts from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China, and the Chinese Seaman & Construction Workers’ Union also attended the event. Officials from the International Labour Standards Department of the International Labour Organization (ILO) participated in the seminar via video conference. The seminar was attended by a total of 90 participants, including representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat, maritime labour compliance authorities of ASEAN member states, as well as representatives from relevant industry organizations, shipping companies, and maritime institutions in China.

Group Photo of the Seminar

Xu Chun, Deputy Director-General of the Maritime Safety Administration of the People’s Republic of China, delivered a speech at the seminar. Chen Chuanquan, Director of the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration of the People’s Republic of China, delivered a keynote speech titled "Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Promoting the Comprehensive Development of Seafarers." He also connected with Ms. Beatriz Vacotto, Head of the Maritime Unit in the International Labour Standards Department of the International Labour Office (ILO), who provided a detailed presentation on the overall implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention,2006 in the Asia-Pacific region and the outlook for compliance with the Amendments of 2022.

Chen Chuanquan, Director of the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration of the People’s Republic of China, conducting a video conference with Beatriz Vacotto, Head of the Maritime Unit in the International Labour Standards Department of the International Labour Office (ILO)

Kanchana Wanichkorn, Director of Sectoral Development at the ASEAN Secretariat, attended the seminar and emphasized that the event strengthened maritime exchanges between China and ASEAN countries, laying a solid foundation for advancing regional cooperation on maritime labor compliance.

Kanchana Wanichkorn, Director of Sectoral Development at the ASEAN Secretariat