he Fifth Meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Special Tripartite Committee (STC) for the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (hereinafter referred to as the “the MLC, 2006”) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from April 7 to 11, 2025. The meeting was chaired by STC Chairperson Martin Martini (Singapore). Ms.Manuela Tomei, the ILO Assistant Director-General and Ms.Corinne Vargha, the Director of International Labour Standards Department attended the meeting and delivered opening remarks. The Chinese delegation, composed of representatives from the Maritime Safety Administration of the Ministry of Transport, Tianjin MSA, Guangdong MSA, Shanghai Maritime University, and the Chinese delegation to Geneva, participated in the meeting.

STC 5 Conference Venue - Panoramic View

Group Photo of the Chinese Delegation

Considering that the meeting was held in a hybrid mode, in order to further enhance the international talent pool for seafarers’ compliance with the MLC, 2006, the Maritime Safety Administration of the Ministry of Transport selected personnel to participate online together through offline centralized arrangements.

Group Photo of Part of the Online Attending Representatives

The meeting agenda encompassed four key items: first, exchange of information related to the implementation of the MLC, 2006; second, consideration of proposals for amendments to the MLC, 2006; third, consideration of any request for consultation under Article VII of the MLC, 2006; and fourth, any other business.

The meeting primarily focused on issues related to the amendment and implementation of the MLC, 2006. Discussions and approvals of amendments to the MLC, 2006 were conducted through the tripartite consultation mechanism, involving shipowners, seafarers, and government groups. The Chinese delegation, with a strong sense of protagonist, actively participated in both the government group meetings and the plenary sessions for consideration and voting. The delegation’s opinions and suggestions on the amendment proposals, grounded in China’s maritime industry interests and developmental realities, garnered broad support from the participating representatives and were subsequently adopted.

A total of 16 proposals were discussed during the meeting, and seven were ultimately approved through tripartite communication and coordination. These approved amendments will be submitted to the 113th International Labour Conference (June 2025) for deliberation. Additionally, the meeting approved draft resolutions on issues such as the ILO/IMO Joint Tripartite Working Group and “key workers”.

The next STC meeting is scheduled for April 3-7, 2028, in Geneva, Switzerland.