The Ship-breaking Industry amidst the Hong Kong Convention: Re-evaluating India’s

By Sanya Khera

Introduction

The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 (HKC) is set to take effect from June 2025 after its ratification from countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh. The HKC standards attract responsibility on end-of-life ships’ dealers for a safe disposal of the vessels, and are a progress from the Basel Convention, which looks after the transboundary movement of hazardous materials. The HKC is an attempt at reducing environmental and health risks as a result of the recycling of ships. However, it becomes important to discuss the persistent problems faced in the ship-breaking industry which in turn can contribute to an efficacious implementation of HKC. The author strives to draw parallels from the ship-breaking industry of Pakistan but subsequently evaluates the unique scenario in India. The main idea is to discuss the socio-economic standards of the industry in India.
Pakistan is one of the biggest ship recycling nations, but the present financial crisis has resulted in an outstanding national debt that is unlikely to end any time soon. The International Monetary Fund in its 2024 report , has given a clear indication on the potential adverse impacts of the growing liability