The Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) has once again urged both China and India to accede to the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) in order to speed up the treaty’s entry into force.
At its annual general meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 28, ASA reaffirmed the necessity for prompt enactment of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ship recycling convention, which would result in an increase of compliant yards available.
Reflecting on the fact that the majority of ocean-going vessels are built in Asia and return to Asia at the end of their life, the association pointed out:
“The ASA will endeavor to motivate ship recycling associations in South Asia through regular dialogue, and encourage improvement of ship recycling and operational standards to achieve the earliest possible ratification by these countries.”
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The convention is the only effective measure to regulate environmentally-sound recycling of ships globally. The ASA welcomes the series of ratifications this year by Turkey , The Netherlands, Japan , Estonia, Serbia, and, most recently, Malta .
The treaty will enter into force 24 months after ratification by 15 states, representing 40 percent of world merchant shipping by gross tonnage, and a combined maximum annual ship recycling volume not less than 3 percent of their combined tonnage.
China and India are seen as key countries to meeting the basic conditions for final enactment of the HKC.
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