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ILO okays universal ID for mariners (6/20)

The International Labor Organization has issued a press release providing an overview of its just-concluded 91st annual conference. The release is available HERE The SIU participated in the conference. Of particular interest to mariners, convention delegates voted to adopt a universal seafarers’ identity card. The ID will feature “a biometric template based on a fingerprint,” according to the ILO. According to the ILO release, “The new Convention on Seafarers’ Identity Documents replaces ILO Convention No. 108, adopted in 1958. It establishes a more rigorous identity regime for seafarers with the aim of developing effective security from terrorism and ensuring that the world’s 1.2 million seafarers will be given the freedom of movement necessary for their well-being and for their professional activities and, in general, to facilitate international commerce.” The International Transport Workers’ Federation issued a statement following the vote to approve the new ID cards. The statement is available HERE