The International Labour Organization has approved three companies as official suppliers of hardware and software for its seafarers identity card scheme. The three companies — Steria, Sagem and Hyundai Information Technologies — have successfully completed the latest round of tests to ensure interoperability with each other's systems. The Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention, which went into effect on 9 February 2005, recommended the use of fingerprint-based ID cards for the world's seamen. The convention is expected to gradually be ratified by the 178 member nations, although there is some controversy that it is using 2D bar codes to store information, rather than following the current trend to use contactless smart card chips for travel documents — such as passports and visas.
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