Environmentally unsound and unsafe practices for dismantling ships represent a matter of serious concern. At the end of their operating life, most large commercial seagoing vessels are dismantled in South Asian countries, in facilities using methods with significant environmental and health impacts. This situation is likely to worsen since large numbers of ships are expected to be sent for dismantling in the coming years as a result of the global phase-out for single-hull tankers. In recent years, at global and regional levels, many initiatives have been under way to achieve a sustainable ship-dismantling industry; several international organizations and mechanisms (International Maritime Organization, International Labour Organization, Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, European Union) are participating in the debate and contributing to the creation of an evolving body of norms and guidelines, gradually making it clear that the global dimension and complexity of the matter require enhanced cooperation among all the States involved and all the stakeholders concerned. The first international mandatory instrument aimed specifically at ship-recycling was adopted during the International Conference on the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, held in Hong Kong, China, from 11 to 15 May 2009, under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). In the present article, the evolving international normative framework at the global level is outlined and the regulatory questions connected with the matter are highlighted . The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (Hong Kong Convention or Ship-Recycling Convention) is also analyzed to assess how far it addresses the environmental and safety concerns inherent in ship-recycling.
THE DISMANTLING OF END-OF-LIFE SHIPS: THE HONG KONG CONVENTION FOR THE SAFE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND RECYCLING OF SHIPS
Valentina Rossi
2011
Abstract
Environmentally unsound and unsafe practices for dismantling ships represent a matter of serious concern. At the end of their operating life, most large commercial seagoing vessels are dismantled in South Asian countries, in facilities using methods with significant environmental and health impacts. This situation is likely to worsen since large numbers of ships are expected to be sent for dismantling in the coming years as a result of the global phase-out for single-hull tankers. In recent years, at global and regional levels, many initiatives have been under way to achieve a sustainable ship-dismantling industry; several international organizations and mechanisms (International Maritime Organization, International Labour Organization, Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, European Union) are participating in the debate and contributing to the creation of an evolving body of norms and guidelines, gradually making it clear that the global dimension and complexity of the matter require enhanced cooperation among all the States involved and all the stakeholders concerned. The first international mandatory instrument aimed specifically at ship-recycling was adopted during the International Conference on the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, held in Hong Kong, China, from 11 to 15 May 2009, under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). In the present article, the evolving international normative framework at the global level is outlined and the regulatory questions connected with the matter are highlighted . The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (Hong Kong Convention or Ship-Recycling Convention) is also analyzed to assess how far it addresses the environmental and safety concerns inherent in ship-recycling.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
