KARACHI, Feb 28: Pakistan is seeking facilitation in work, travel, transit and shore-leave for its seafarers from International Labour Organization (ILO) member states to create job opportunities for its unemployed youth.

Immediately after the 9/11 incident, many western countries took stringent measures against Pakistani seafarers by imposing restrictions and conditions which could not be met.

The biggest problem confronted by the seafarers was of proper identification, which was the basic need for security reasons. Consequently, during the last several years, there was fast depletion in the presence of Pakistani seafarers in the world shipping lines.

Ports and Shipping Secretary M. Zia-ur-Rehman, who led a delegation to the International (Maritime) Labour Conference held recently at the ILO headquarter, Geneva, raised this issue and sought cooperation from member states.

The secretary informed the conference that in order to meet security problems, the government of Pakistan had already started issuing seafarers identity documents (SID) as required by the ILO Convention 185.

The conference was held for the consolidation of over 60 maritime conventions and recommendations into a single maritime labour convention, which can be considered as “Seafarers Bill of Rights.”

The Pakistani delegation actively participated in the tripartite conference and contributed through its various interventions, with several important amendments for the benefit of Pakistani seafarers.

The secretary along with Ambassador Masood Khan and Director General (Ports and Shipping) Captain Anwar Shah also held a meeting with ILO Director General Juan Somavia.

Mr Zia-ur-Rehman offered to share the SID technology with other member countries. The secretary also requested for ILO DG’s assistance for the capacity-building in the maritime sector of Pakistan. He also thanked the ILO for sending 33 tons of relief goods to earthquake victims.

The ILO director general assured that the organization would disseminate Pakistan’s offer for production of SIDs to all member countries.

Sources privy to the conference told Dawn that the Consolidated Maritime Convention-2006 was finalized and approved unanimously. The instrument will provide better living, working and social conditions to the seafarers.