Thursday, 3rd December 2020

107th session of the IMO Legal Committee (remote) – International Group attendance

The International Group took an active role at the 107th remote session of the IMO Legal Committee that was held on 27th November to 2nd December 2020.

The Legal Committee's main agenda items included consideration of the further development of a Unified Interpretation on the shipowner’s right to limit liability under the IMO Conventions (as proposed by the Group along with other co-sponsors), the use fraudulent ship registries, monitoring the implementation of the HNS Protocol 2010, the provision of financial security in case of abandonment of seafarers under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) and a proposal from the Group for a 2001 Bunkers Convention claims manual. The Group welcomed the progress made by the Committee on a number of these items, in particular on the Committee’s agreement that a draft Unified Interpretation on the shipowner’s right to limit liability under the IMO Conventions should be developed intersessionally, along with the mechanism for such a Unified Interpretation, and then presented to the next Committee meeting.  The Group will continue to take a full and active role in this work given its importance to the long term sustainability of the IMO liability and compensation Conventions.