UN Raps US Over Scrapping Fraud
by Lloyd's Register
23 April 2003 – United Nations investigators have called on the US to “pay closer scrutiny” to inactive ships being exported, to counter frequent frauds used to disguise ships for demolition that contain hazardous materials.
The UN’s Human Rights Commission has released a report calling on Washington to stop ignoring international agreements that protect humans and the environment from hazardous shipbreaking material. The report’s Tunisian author, Fatma-Zohra Ouhachi-Vesely, says: “Fraud is often involved in the export (from the US) of ships for ship breaking, be it a pretence that the ship is being sold for active service, or is on routine scheduled voyages.”
The US has not ratified the Basel Convention, an accord of shipping nations that says vessels exported for scrapping must be free of toxins. The UN report recommends Washington ratify that accord and others and make permanent its moratorium on the foreign scrapping of state-owned US ships. It also recommends that commercial US ship owners bear the cost of ensuring their vessels are toxin-free before being scrapped.
FAIR USE NOTICE. This document contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The Basel Action Network is making this article available in our efforts to advance understanding of ecological sustainability and environmental justice issues. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
More News
|
