The Paris MoU has published its 2025 Annual Report and performance lists highlighting an increased number of vessel bans compared to the previous few years. The detention rate also trended upward, reaching 4.18% in 2025, compared to 4.03% in 2024.
MoU members conducted 16,474 inspections which resulted in 688 detentions and 19 bannings. Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) breaches involving health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection (MLC title IV) were the third most common non-compliance found (10.0%) after fire safety (16.8%) and structural and electrical elements (11.6%).
At the specific deficiency level, fire doors (3.1%) and Seafarers’ Employment Agreements (1.3%) remain prominent areas of non-compliance. Broader International Safety Management related deficiencies accounted for 4.5% of the total.
Human Rights at Sea supports the MoU’s call for all stakeholders to re-evaluate their operational practices and ensure strict adherence to international maritime standards, as the higher detention rate is an indicator for potential concerns of a reduction in shipping standards.
“For all the effort put in to improving the standard of global shipping – by regulators, owners, managers, seafarers, and others – it is disappointing to have to talk of slipping standards in the industry,” said David Hammond, Founder, Human Rights at Sea.
“We’ve just paid tribute to those on the front line of shipping via the Day of the Seafarer (25 June). The day after many LinkedIn posts marked the first day of the rest of the year – the status quo where little changes.
“The true but unpopular narrative is summed up by there being little change over the decades in a multi-trillion-dollar maritime supply chain were billionaires become richer at the expense of the ordinary person. This is despite wasted millions spent on new social initiatives, ongoing core welfare support dominated by volunteers, and endless international industry conferences.”
The Paris MoU Annual Report brings transparency to the problems through the publication of the White, Grey and Black performance lists. This year, the top 10 nations on the White list are: Cayman Islands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Japan, Singapore, France, Finland, Netherlands and Luxembourg.
“It has been left to the established UN tripartite structure at the International Labor Organization (ILO), the efforts of unions, honest brokers in the industry, civil society, media and those coastal, flag and port state authorities with mature national laws and resourced enforcement to best protect workers,” says Hammond.
“That must continue unabated, and Human Rights at Sea therefore welcomes the efforts of responsible flag states and the much-needed transparency provided by the publishing of the White, Grey and Black performance lists.”https://parismou.org/system/files/2026-06/Paris%20MoU%20Annual%20Report%202025.pdf
View the Report
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