External Relations
The Secretariat undertakes a wide variety of activities aimed at strengthening the IOPC Funds’ relationship with Member States, encouraging the worldwide adoption and understanding of the international regime for oil pollution compensation and assisting potential claimants.
It offers a variety of training activities. These include a number of regular events, such as a week-long annual academy (see below) and a half-day induction course for Member State representatives, which is held immediately prior to the October/November sessions of the governing bodies. The Director hosts informal regional lunch meetings for London-based representatives of Member and non-Member States during the course of the year and the Secretariat also organises or contributes to national and regional workshops upon request for both Member and non-Member States directly. It also offers short, targeted online training sessions for those State representatives working on specific areas of work relating to the IOPC Funds, such as oil reporting and contributions.
The IOPC Funds are beginning the third module of their webinar series, which will focus on claims for compensation, starting with a session titled “Roles and responsibilities in an incident”, on 27 March 2024. Following the format of the entire series, this event will consist of a short 15‐minute presentation, followed by 15 minutes of questions.
The Webinar Series is open to any interested party and each of the 11 webinars in the series will be delivered at two different times to facilitate participation from various time zones. Four sessions have already taken place. These focused on introducing the international liability and compensation regime, understanding the relevant Conventions, and the importance of oil reporting.
This session will provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders in an oil pollution incident, with a focus on the IOPC Funds’ involvement, from initial response to the payment of claims for compensation. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of continued collaboration and information sharing among all parties involved.
The Secretariat regularly contributes to events organised by fellow organisations and stakeholders to create awareness and promote better understanding of the role of the IOPC Funds. It gives presentations at conferences and regularly gives lectures to students of maritime law from various universities.
Details of the key events attended by the Secretariat are set out on the map below and under the News and Events section. Future activities are detailed under the Upcoming Events page.
For further information on any of the activities described above or to discuss any training or support requirements please email: outreach@iopcfunds.org.
IOPC Funds Annual Academy
The IOPC Funds organises an Annual Academy, which usually takes place at the organisation’s headquarters in London. The week-long programme covers all aspects of the work of the IOPC Funds and the international liability and compensation regime. The Annual Academy in 2024 will be delivered in person, in London from Monday, 17 June to Friday, 21 June 2024.
Applications must be submitted by the online form which is available here.