Ratifying Countries must adopt national laws or take measures to ensure the Regulations’ principles and rights are implemented in the Standards or in a substantially equivalent way. In determining details of laws or other implementing measures they must also duly consider Part B Guidelines. Once duly considered, ratifying countries may implement mandatory provisions differently to suit national circumstances but may need to explain to the ILO supervisory bodies why they did not follow Part B guidance.
Implementation of Part B is not verified by port State inspectors. Part B recognises firmness on principles and rights combined with flexibility in implementing principles and rights to assist achieve wide-scale ratification. Many existing MLC provisions, to implement basic seafarers’ rights were transferred to the Guidelines for states which did not previously ratify the conventions.