Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on ratifying ILO Convention 185 on Seafarers’ Identity Documents.
The UK currently recognises and accepts all seafarer identity documents that are compliant with ILO Convention 108, and will also accept documents compliant with ILO Convention 185 where the issuing State has previously ratified ILO 108. The UK was a major contributor to the drafting and subsequent amendments of ILO 185.
The pandemic has delayed progress but officials continue to work with Home Office on the significant technical, security and operational requirements that would need to be in place to allow ratification.