ILO Launches Study to Improve Ship Recycling in Pakistan

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a detailed study to evaluate and improve Pakistan’s ship recycling industry, with a focus on boosting worker safety and promoting environmentally sustainable practices. The initiative is part of the Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling and Decent Work (SENSREC-DW) project, jointly led by the ILO and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), with backing from Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This diagnostic assessment will examine the entire ship recycling value chain in Pakistan, mapping key stakeholders, highlighting policy shortcomings, and evaluating training requirements. The move comes shortly after Pakistan ratified the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships — a regulation that officially took effect last week. However, no shipbreaking yards in the country currently meet the new compliance standards.

Through this project, the ILO aims to bring local ship recycling operations, including those at Gadani — one of the world’s most prominent shipbreaking sites — in line with global health, safety, and environmental protocols. Historically, laborers at these yards have worked under dangerous conditions.

In support of this transition, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, recently announced the release of Rs12 billion (approximately $43 million) in overdue funding to upgrade the Gadani facility and ensure it meets the requirements of the Hong Kong Convention.