ICS and CMI Renew Call for Urgent Ratification of Key International Maritime Treaties

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the Comité Maritime International (CMI) have launched a campaign to promote the ratification of important international maritime treaties. Despite being adopted at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other regulatory forums, many governments have not ratified these conventions. The campaign emphasizes the urgency for governments to ratify key international maritime conventions that are deemed crucial by ICS and CMI. These include the IMO Nairobi Convention on the Removal of Wrecks (Nairobi WRC) from 2007, the 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), the Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (Hong Kong) from 2009, and the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships, 2023 (the Beijing Convention).

The ongoing campaign by ICS and CMI to promote treaty ratification has received full support from the IMO. The Promoting Maritime Treaty Ratification campaign provides information on each individual Convention, highlighting its significance and any recent developments. Additionally, the campaign aims to raise awareness about other instruments and regulations that would benefit from wider ratification, such as the IMO Convention on Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water (BWM) from 2004 and the IMO Protocol of 1997 to MARPOL (Annex VI – Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships).

In summary, the ICS and CMI are advocating for the ratification of crucial international maritime treaties that have not been widely adopted by governments. The campaign emphasizes the importance of ratifying conventions like the Nairobi WRC, HNS Protocol, Hong Kong Convention, and the Beijing Convention. With the full support of the IMO, the campaign seeks to educate stakeholders on the significance of these treaties and encourage broader ratification to enhance maritime safety and environmental protection.

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