SLMA and Labour Ministry Move to Bring Maritime Labour Convention Into Law

The Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA) and the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security are working to strengthen legal protections for seafarers by bringing the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006, into Sierra Leone's national law.

The two institutions made the commitment at a meeting held to discuss how they would cooperate on incorporating the Convention into the country's legal framework and on improving standards for seafarers' welfare and working conditions.

At the meeting, SLMA Deputy Executive Director Emmanuel B.A. Lansana described ongoing work to modernise the administration's legal framework, which was established under an Act of 2000, and to bring its operations into line with current practice in maritime governance.

He also pointed to the Merchant Shipping Act, 2026, which Parliament passed in June and which received presidential assent on 3 September 2026. According to Mr Lansana, the revised law incorporates provisions from key international maritime conventions, including parts of the MLC, and supporting regulations are now being developed.

However, he said a dedicated MLC Act was important to make sure the Convention's provisions are fully incorporated into domestic law, rather than only in part through shipping legislation. He reaffirmed the SLMA's commitment to working with the ministry and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to move the process forward.

The Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Umaru Napoleon Koroma, welcomed the initiative and said the ministry was ready to support efforts to strengthen labour standards and protect the rights and welfare of seafarers.

Minister Koroma proposed setting up a joint committee made up of representatives of the ministry, the SLMA and other relevant institutions. The committee would coordinate the process, bring in technical experts and draw up a clear implementation plan.

Both sides agreed to share the proposed concept note and to hold a follow-up meeting to push the work forward ahead of ILO engagements scheduled for June 2027.

According to the two institutions, domesticating the MLC is intended to give seafarers stronger legal protection covering their employment conditions, welfare and rights, in line with international labour standards.

The meeting comes as the Labour Ministry is also pressing employers to comply with other workplace obligations, including the end-of-service benefits provision of the Employment Act 2023.

Legal context: The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, is an ILO treaty that sets minimum standards for people working on ships. Sierra Leone follows a dualist approach to international agreements, which means a treaty generally needs to be enacted into domestic legislation before its provisions can be enforced directly in local courts. That is why the SLMA is calling for a dedicated MLC Act, in addition to the parts of the Convention already reflected in the Merchant Shipping Act, 2026. Until such a law is passed, seafarers' rights at home depend on the provisions already found in national legislation.