40th anniversary of the adoption of UNCLOS

On 28 November 2022, the Deputy Director/Head of Claims Department, Liliana Monsalve, Senior Claims Manager, Chiara Della Mea, and Claims Manager, Mark Homan, attended an event to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, United Kingdom.

The event consisted of two panel discussions, with a first part addressing topics related to the forty years of cooperation between IMO and UNCLOS, and IMO’s contribution to the implementation of the Convention.  The second part was devoted to the issues of present and future challenges for UNCLOS in the context of new developments at IMO.

UNCLOS is a key Convention which governs relations among countries on ocean-related issues.  The IOPC Funds reports on its activities and key developments in the international liability and compensation regime annually to the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea  (DOALOS) of the United Nations (UN).  DOALOS serves as the Secretariat of UNCLOS and passes this information on to the UN General Assembly in its annual report. The Assembly then adopts a Resolution each year, highlighting key areas and encouraging States to follow best practices, adopt certain measures to protect the oceans and ratify and implement important treaties relating to marine pollution, including the 1992 Civil Liability and Fund Conventions and the 2010 HNS Convention.

The IOPC Funds are also pleased to regularly participate in the work of various bodies created under UNCLOS.  This includes participating in workshops and attending sessions of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and taking part in training programmes run by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

The IOPC Funds is looking forward to continuing its cooperation with DOALOS and these other related bodies in the future.