The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has proposed Ghana’s ratification of the International Labour Organization’s Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention, 2003 (C185), as part of efforts to improve seafarer mobility and compliance.
The convention provides for a biometric Seafarers’ Identity Document (SID), effectively a specialised maritime travel credential designed to improve identity verification, support cross-border movement and facilitate crew changes in line with international shipping protocols. According to the GMA, ratification would help Ghana align with global maritime labour and border security standards while improving the competitiveness of its seafaring workforce.
At a stakeholder engagement in Accra , the authority said the absence of ratification has left Ghanaian seafarers exposed to administrative restrictions in some foreign jurisdictions, creating avoidable costs and procedural delays for workers and shipping operators alike. The GMA described the situation as one that has carried both “professional consequences” and reputational implications for Ghana’s maritime sector.
GMA Director-General, Dr Kamal-Deen Ali, said the prolonged delay in adopting the convention had created practical setbacks for Ghanaian maritime workers, particularly where existing identity documents are not fully recognised abroad. He said the current national reform drive offers momentum for what he characterised as a necessary correction to keep local seafarers globally competitive.
A major concern raised at the meeting was the treatment of Ghanaian seafarers calling at Brazilian ports, where those from non-ratifying countries are reportedly required to obtain a one-year visa before disembarkation. Industry players say that the requirement has become both costly and logistically cumbersome, especially when compared with the streamlined access available to seafarers from countries already operating the biometric SID regime.
The business implications are significant. In addition to visa expenses, shipping employers and crew managers face documentation delays, administrative burdens and potential disruptions to crew rotation schedules. That, stakeholders indicated, weakens labour mobility in a sector where timing, compliance and seamless port access are central to operational efficiency.
The Ministry of Transport signalled support for the ratification effort, framing it within a broader objective of positioning the maritime industry as a viable employment pathway. In remarks delivered on behalf of the sector minister, the government said its ambition extends “beyond the region” and that harmonising Ghana’s systems with international conventions would support smoother crew change processes while reinforcing maritime security standards.
The convention is also being presented as a labour welfare and productivity issue. Maritime professionals at the forum noted that the inability of some seafarers to obtain shore access after extended periods at sea has implications for morale, welfare and work conditions, making the ratification process relevant not only to compliance but also to workforce sustainability.
The stakeholder engagement brought together representatives from the Attorney General’s Department, maritime labour groups, security agencies, academia and other public institutions, underscoring the cross-agency coordination required to move the convention through Ghana’s approval process.
Parliamentary support also appears to be building. A member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and MP for Kintampo North, Joseph Kwame Kumah, indicated that once the convention secures Cabinet approval and is formally laid before the House, legislators would give it “serious” attention with a view to expedited consideration. The intervention also included a call for implementation to be inclusive of other categories of marine workers, including operators in the fisheries segment
