Press release
Pakistan moves to strengthen hazardous waste management in ship recycling sector
National workshop advances efforts to align shipbreaking practices with global standards, spotlighting worker protection and sustainable development at Gadani yard.
17 June 2025
KARACHI, Pakistan (ILO News) – Pakistan is stepping up efforts to make ship recycling safer and greener by aligning hazardous waste management with international labour and environmental standards.
Stakeholders at a two-day workshop on hazardous waste management and ship recycling held in Karachi on 28 May 2025, enhanced their understanding of the Hong Kong Convention, ILO’s Chemical and Occupational Safety and Health Conventions, and legal requirements for worker safety and environmental compliance.
Organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MoMA), the workshop was held under the ILO’s Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling and Decent Work (SENSREC-DW) in Pakistan project, funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event brought together representatives from government, employers, workers’ organizations, and civil society to promote safer, more sustainable practices in the ship recycling sector.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to align Pakistan’s ship recycling industry with international labour and environmental standards, while improving occupational safety and health for workers at the Gadani shipbreaking yard.
Speaking at the opening, Geir Thomas Tonstol, Country Director for ILO Pakistan, said “The management of hazardous waste is not just an environmental obligation—it is a labour rights imperative. Through this project, we are working to strengthen safety standards and ensure decent working conditions for all.”
Officials from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Balochistan Development Authority, and Pakistan Ship Breakers Association also reiterated their support and emphasized the need for greater collaboration to protect workers and the environment.
Participants visited the Gadani ship recycling yard to observe current practices, identify challenges, and reflect on the practical application of knowledge shared during the workshop.
The SENSREC-DW project is jointly implemented by the ILO and IMO, with support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to enhance environmental performance and ensure safe, decent working conditions in the ship recycling industry of Pakistan. It contributes to the ILO Flagship programme Safety + Health for All promoting the fundamental right to a safe and healthy working environment at national, regional, and global levels.
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Muhammad Numan
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