The Comité Maritime International (CMI), the international association for maritime lawyers, and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have released an updated brochure to promote ratification of international maritime conventions by governments worldwide.

The brochure aims to encourage more widespread ratification of key maritime instruments — especially those adopted by the IMO — which might benefit from a higher level of global acceptance.

The CMI and ICS campaign is primarily focused on three IMO instruments: the Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling; the 2003 Protocol to the 1992 Civil Liability and Fund Conventions concerning oil spill compensation; and the 2010 Protocol to the HNS (liability) Convention.  

ICS Chairman Esben Poulsson believes that, despite the slow pace of ratification, there is reason to be optimistic.

“In particular, the Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling has been ratified by the world’s largest flag state, Panama, having previously been ratified by Belgium, Denmark, France, and Norway. Turkey, a major ship recycling nation, is also expected to ratify soon,” Poulsson says.

“But other IMO Member States now need to build on this momentum or else be faced with the confusion likely to be caused by unilateral or regional regulation."

The new brochure, which is available on the ICS and CMI websites, also highlights a number of other conventions that require greater ratification, including the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention.

In a joint statement, both organisations emphasised the importance of global regulatory frameworks for the shipping sector. Multiple or overlapping regional regulations could lead to “chaos” in the industry and disrupt global trade, it says.