Cyprus commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Maritime Labour Convention in Athens

On Friday, September 18, 2026, the Cyprus Deputy Minister of Shipping, Marina Hadjimanolis, attended an international symposium in Athens marking the 20th anniversary of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). The convention was originally adopted in Geneva on February 23, 2006, serving as the fourth pillar of the international maritime regulatory framework alongside SOLAS, MARPOL, and STCW. It establishes minimum standards for seafarers' working conditions, medical care, social protection, and repatriation.

During the event, Hadjimanolis emphasized that Cyprus played an active role in the original tripartite negotiations and ratified the convention in 2012, becoming the 29th nation worldwide and the ninth EU member state to do so. She stated that the MLC must not be viewed as a static document, but as a living framework that evolves alongside the global shipping industry to ensure the protection of workers while maintaining competitiveness and growth.

The symposium served as a platform for discussing the future of the industry, focusing on how regulatory pressures and social responsibilities must remain integrated to address the changing needs of the global fleet and its workforce.