The Maritime Labor Convention 2006?will take effect on the Chinese mainland starting from Aug 20, 2013, maritime officials said on Tuesday.

The convention, which was adopted in 2006 by the International Labor Organization, is deemed as one of the major pillars of international maritime law and aims to better protect the rights of seafarers.

It will have an important effect on China's shipping and ship-design businesses, according to Chinese maritime officials attending the 8th Meeting on the ASEAN–China Maritime Consultation Mechanism held in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.

Chinese maritime authorities have drafted 10 documents in order to fulfill the country's commitments to the convention, officials said.

More than 60 officials and representatives from maritime authorities in China and ASEAN countries are taking part in the meeting, which will finish on Wednesday. They will discuss the reduction of the shipping industry's greenhouse-gas emissions, emergency response cooperation, as well as the implementation of the Maritime Labor Convention.

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