Administrator of Ship and Rail Compensation Canada visits IOPC Funds

On 28 April 2025, IOPC Funds’ Director, Gaute Sivertsen, welcomed the new Administrator of Ship and Rail Compensation Canada, Caroline Healey, to the Funds’ offices in London. The two organisations have worked closely for over 30 years, and this partnership was further strengthened by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2023 to enhance preparedness, cooperation, and efficiency in the handling of claims, and to formalise their respective roles in any future oil pollution incident involving both parties.

Under the MoU, claims for oil pollution damage in Canada can be submitted directly to Ship and Rail Compensation Canada, who pays the compensation and subsequently recovers the costs from the shipowner’s insurer and the IOPC Funds.

The Director provided a brief overview of the role and structure of the IOPC Funds, including the legal framework governing the international liability and compensation regime for ship-source oil pollution. He outlined the types of claims covered under the 1992 Civil Liability and Fund Conventions, along with the general criteria applied by the IOPC Funds in assessing their admissibility.

The presentation also highlighted the key challenges the organisation is presently focused, notably the failure of some Member States to meet their obligations, the potential impact of international sanctions, the importance of ensuring treaty-compliant insurance arrangements, and assisting with entry into force of HNS Convention.

Director Sivertsen took the opportunity to congratulate Ms Healey on her appointment and to affirm his confidence in the long-standing relationship between the two organisations.