1.3. Regulations in the shipping industry
The four Pillars of regulations in the shipping industry are:
SOLAS
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, which was first introduced in 1974, lays out the fundamental safety standards that merchant vessels flying any flag state must meet. This agreement addresses the design, installation, and maintenance of the ship.
STCW
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), which was ratified in 1978, sets the global standards for qualifications for everyone who works on board commercial ships. The fact that the Convention applies to ships from non-party states when they visit ports owned by Parties to the Convention is one of its most significant features. According to Article X, the Parties shall apply the control measures to ships flying all flags to the extent necessary to guarantee that no ship flying the flag of a State that is not a Party shall be granted any preferential treatment over a ship flying the flag of a Party State.
MARPOL
The regulations that prevent pollution of the marine environment due to operations or accidents, primarily oil spills, have been defined since 1973 by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). The regulation has been updated under MARPOL Annex VI to impose a limit of 0.5% on sulfur levels in fuels used by all operating ships, following an amendment in 1978.
MLC
The rights of seafarers are intended to be protected by the Maritime Labor Convention of 2006. Ship operators need to be given respectable living and working conditions by governments, shipowners, and ship operators. This approach also fosters equitable competition within the market.