MLC 2006 ratification by flag state
The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) is the international instrument that sets minimum standards for seafarers' working conditions — wages, hours of rest, accommodation, medical care, repatriation, and social security. A flag state that ratifies MLC must issue the Maritime Labour Certificate and Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance for each qualifying ship, submit to ILO supervision, and enforce compliance on vessels under its jurisdiction. Non-ratified flags do not issue these documents, but their ships remain subject to port-state-control inspection under the "no more favourable treatment" principle in MLC Regulation 5.2.1.
102 ratified · 34 not yet ratified of 136 flag states tracked. Source: ILO NORMLEX C186.
Ratified flag states (102)
These flags have deposited instruments of ratification with the ILO and are bound by all MLC 2006 obligations. Ratification date shown where known.
| Flag state | ISO3 | Ratified | Paris MoU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | ALB | 2007-10-28 | unknown |
| Anguilla | AIA | — | unknown |
| Antigua and Barbuda | ATG | 2012-05-28 | white |
| Argentina | ARG | 2011-09-01 | not-listed |
| Australia | AUS | 2011-12-21 | not-listed |
| Azerbaijan | AZE | 2013-07-01 | unknown |
| Bahamas | BHS | 2008-05-20 | white |
| Bangladesh | BGD | 2014-10-06 | not-listed |
| Barbados | BRB | 2013-09-10 | white |
| Belgium | BEL | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Bermuda | BMU | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Brazil | BRA | 2020-09-01 | not-listed |
| British Virgin Islands | VGB | 2013-08-06 | unknown |
| Bulgaria | BGR | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Cabo Verde | CPV | 2018-10-06 | unknown |
| Cameroon | CMR | 2014-08-01 | unknown |
| Canada | CAN | 2014-06-15 | white |
| Cayman Islands | CYM | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Chile | CHL | 2011-09-02 | not-listed |
| China | CHN | 2015-11-12 | white |
| Colombia | COL | 2014-08-20 | not-listed |
| Croatia | HRV | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Curacao | CUW | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Cyprus | CYP | 2012-11-20 | grey |
| Denmark | DNK | 2012-06-23 | white |
| Djibouti | DJI | 2018-06-20 | unknown |
| Dominican Republic | DOM | 2018-05-14 | unknown |
| Ecuador | ECU | 2016-05-24 | not-listed |
| Egypt | EGY | 2013-05-28 | not-listed |
| Estonia | EST | 2016-08-05 | white |
| Falkland Islands | FLK | — | unknown |
| Finland | FIN | 2013-08-07 | white |
| France | FRA | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Georgia | GEO | 2012-08-20 | grey |
| Germany | DEU | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Ghana | GHA | 2016-09-01 | not-listed |
| Gibraltar | GIB | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Greece | GRC | 2013-01-10 | white |
| Hong Kong | HKG | 2013-08-20 | white |
| Iceland | ISL | 2019-04-29 | white |
| India | IND | 2015-04-09 | not-listed |
| Indonesia | IDN | 2016-08-12 | not-listed |
| Ireland | IRL | 2014-08-20 | white |
| Isle of Man | IMN | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Israel | ISR | 2012-06-20 | white |
| Italy | ITA | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Jamaica | JAM | 2014-08-20 | not-listed |
| Japan | JPN | 2013-11-09 | white |
| Kenya | KEN | 2014-06-12 | not-listed |
| Latvia | LVA | 2011-08-12 | white |
| Liberia | LBR | 2006-06-23 | white |
| Lithuania | LTU | 2013-08-20 | white |
| Luxembourg | LUX | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Malaysia | MYS | 2013-11-21 | not-listed |
| Malta | MLT | 2013-01-22 | white |
| Marshall Islands | MHL | 2016-07-11 | white |
| Mauritania | MRT | 2016-01-30 | unknown |
| Mauritius | MUS | 2014-08-20 | not-listed |
| Mexico | MEX | 2012-06-28 | not-listed |
| Montenegro | MNE | 2015-07-03 | unknown |
| Montserrat | MSR | — | unknown |
| Morocco | MAR | 2012-10-15 | white |
| Namibia | NAM | 2014-10-09 | unknown |
| Netherlands | NLD | 2013-08-07 | white |
| New Zealand | NZL | 2014-08-20 | not-listed |
| Nigeria | NGA | 2013-09-18 | not-listed |
| Norway | NOR | 2009-02-10 | white |
| Oman | OMN | 2013-07-24 | not-listed |
| Pakistan | PAK | 2016-01-12 | not-listed |
| Panama | PAN | 2009-08-20 | white |
| Peru | PER | 2015-07-28 | not-listed |
| Philippines | PHL | 2012-11-20 | not-listed |
| Poland | POL | 2012-08-20 | white |
| Portugal | PRT | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Qatar | QAT | 2013-03-21 | not-listed |
| Romania | ROU | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Russia | RUS | 2012-01-20 | grey |
| Saint Helena | SHN | — | unknown |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | KNA | 2012-02-21 | unknown |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | VCT | 2012-02-09 | grey |
| Senegal | SEN | 2015-09-22 | unknown |
| Seychelles | SYC | 2012-09-20 | not-listed |
| Sierra Leone | SLE | 2018-04-23 | black |
| Singapore | SGP | 2011-04-15 | white |
| Slovenia | SVN | 2016-04-15 | white |
| South Africa | ZAF | 2013-06-20 | not-listed |
| South Korea | KOR | 2014-08-09 | white |
| Spain | ESP | 2010-12-20 | white |
| Sri Lanka | LKA | 2013-04-16 | not-listed |
| Sweden | SWE | 2012-06-05 | white |
| Tanzania | TZA | 2015-10-30 | unknown |
| Thailand | THA | 2016-01-07 | not-listed |
| Trinidad and Tobago | TTO | 2019-01-14 | unknown |
| Tunisia | TUN | 2015-03-20 | white |
| Turkey | TUR | 2013-10-28 | white |
| Ukraine | UKR | 2006-08-11 | grey |
| United Arab Emirates | ARE | 2012-12-17 | not-listed |
| United Kingdom | GBR | 2013-08-07 | white |
| Uruguay | URY | 2013-10-09 | not-listed |
| Vanuatu | VUT | 2016-02-20 | not-listed |
| Venezuela | VEN | 2013-11-26 | not-listed |
| Vietnam | VNM | 2013-05-08 | not-listed |
Not yet ratified (34)
Ships of these flags do not carry MLC certificates. Port-state-control officers may still inspect for MLC-equivalent conditions under the "no more favourable treatment" rule.
| Flag state | ISO3 | MLC status | Paris MoU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | AGO | not-ratified | unknown |
| Belize | BLZ | not-ratified | grey |
| Bolivia | BOL | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Cambodia | KHM | not-ratified | black |
| Comoros | COM | not-ratified | black |
| Cook Islands | COK | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Fiji | FJI | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Gabon | GAB | not-ratified | unknown |
| Guyana | GUY | not-ratified | unknown |
| Honduras | HND | not-ratified | grey |
| Iran | IRN | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Ivory Coast | CIV | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Kazakhstan | KAZ | not-ratified | unknown |
| Kiribati | KIR | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Lebanon | LBN | not-ratified | grey |
| Libya | LBY | not-ratified | unknown |
| Maldives | MDV | not-ratified | unknown |
| Moldova | MDA | not-ratified | grey |
| Mongolia | MNG | not-ratified | grey |
| Mozambique | MOZ | not-ratified | unknown |
| Myanmar | MMR | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Palau | PLW | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Papua New Guinea | PNG | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Paraguay | PRY | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Samoa | WSM | not-ratified | unknown |
| Saudi Arabia | SAU | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Suriname | SUR | not-ratified | unknown |
| Taiwan | TWN | unknown | not-listed |
| Togo | TGO | not-ratified | black |
| Tonga | TON | not-ratified | not-listed |
| Turkmenistan | TKM | not-ratified | unknown |
| Tuvalu | TUV | not-ratified | not-listed |
| United States | USA | not-ratified | white |
| Yemen | YEM | not-ratified | unknown |
Primary sources
- · ILO NORMLEX — C186 Maritime Labour Convention ratification list (ilo.org)
- · ILO MLC 2006 home page (ilo.org)
- · IMO MLC implementation guidance (imo.org)
- · Paris MoU — MLC deficiencies statistics (parismou.org)
See also
- · All flag states
- · Flag-state risk explained
- · White, grey, and black lists
- · Port-state-control regimes
- · Reference: MLC 2006
- · Help: filing an MLC complaint
- · Your rights: flag state obligations
- · Compare flag states
Ratification dates sourced from ILO NORMLEX. Seafarer Index is not affiliated with the ILO. Verify current status at normlex.ilo.org before making compliance decisions.