The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the Comité Maritime International (CMI) have jointly relaunched their campaign to promote the ratification of crucial maritime treaties. Despite the adoption of several important international conventions by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other regulatory bodies, many governments have yet to ratify these essential agreements. The updated campaign aims to encourage and support governments in taking the necessary steps to ratify these conventions, emphasizing the urgency of their adoption.
The ICS and CMI are particularly focused on the following key international maritime conventions that they believe require immediate ratification by governments:
- The IMO Nairobi Convention on the Removal of Wrecks (Nairobi WRC), 2007
- The IMO 2010 Protocol to the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea (HNS), 1996
- The IMO Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (Hong Kong Convention), 2009
- The United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships (Beijing Convention), 2023
These conventions are crucial for strengthening global maritime safety, environmental protection, and liability frameworks. The ICS and CMI’s campaign is fully supported by the IMO, which is increasingly focused on improving the effective implementation of existing maritime instruments in addition to its rule-making role.
Kiran Khosla, Principal Director (Legal) at the ICS, stated: “As a globally regulated industry governed by the IMO and other UN bodies, it is vital that international regulations are ratified and implemented at the national level. The purpose of our campaign is to engage ICS and CMI members—representing national shipowner associations and maritime law associations—to actively urge their governments to ratify these conventions where they have not yet done so.”
He added: “Our industry relies on a unified global regulatory system to operate efficiently and safely. Uniform global standards must be enforced worldwide to avoid a patchwork of national regulations that could compromise safety and environmental protection. The same regulations must be applied to all ships engaged in international trade, ensuring consistent standards throughout their voyages.”
Ann Fenech, President of the CMI, also expressed her support for the campaign: “The CMI is excited to collaborate with the ICS to relaunch the ‘Promoting Maritime Treaty Ratification’ campaign. Given the current geopolitical climate and the complexities facing shipowners, charterers, cargo owners, financiers, and maritime stakeholders, it is more critical than ever to ensure legal certainty and uniformity across jurisdictions. The CMI, through its national maritime law associations, will continue advocating for governments to ratify these essential conventions.”
The campaign not only highlights the importance of the above conventions but also draws attention to additional instruments that would benefit from wider ratification, including the IMO Convention on the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water (BWM), 2004, and the IMO Protocol of 1997 to MARPOL Annex VI (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships).
By promoting the ratification of these treaties, the ICS and CMI aim to reinforce the stability and safety of the global maritime industry, ensuring that regulations are consistently applied and enforced across all international waters.
