ILO seeks to map gaps in Pakistan’s shipbreaking sector in the wake of HKC

The International Labor Organization (ILO) has opened submissions from qualified consultants to conduct a diagnostic study of the ship recycling value chain in Pakistan. 

According to officials from the ILO, the study is to inform national action planning by mapping ‘key’ stakeholders, pinpointing policy gaps and examining training needs, particularly in the context of Pakistan’s ratification of the Hong Kong Convention the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships (HKC), which went live June 26, 2025.

The assignment is envisioned to support the promotion of decent work, occupational safety and health, gender inclusion and the shipbreaking/ship recycling sector’s green transition.

As informed, the consultancy is part of the “Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling and Decent Work (SENSREC-DW) in Pakistan” project being done in collaboration with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is anticipated to be wrapped up within four months.

The project aims to ‘tighten’ legal frameworks, improve occupational safety and health, and enhance hazardous waste management in shipbreaking, particularly at the Gadani yard in Balochistan. It is understood that SENSREC-DW is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As the IMO has noted, Pakistan’s ship recycling industry, centered at the Gadani shipbreaking yard, has long held a ‘prominent’ position in the global market, accounting for 16.6% of global recycling activity in 2022.

The sector, however, grapples with a myriad of challenges, including outdated infrastru