GI WACAF sub-regional workshop – Hosted by South Africa

As part of the Global Initiative for West, Central and Southern Africa (GI WACAF) project, the IOPC Funds contributed to a sub-regional workshop on the handling and administration of claims for oil pollution damage.

The event, which was hosted by South Africa’s Transport Department and the South African Maritime Safety Authority, took place in Cape Town from 22 to 24 July 2025.

IOPC Funds’ Claims Manager, Mathew de Platter, provided a comprehensive overview of the work of the organisation and the legal framework underpinning 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, as well as the admissibility criteria applied by the IOPC Funds.

The workshop, which also featured experts from the International Group of P&I Associations and ITOPF, included practical exercises designed to enhance participants’ understanding of the IMO’s liability conventions and to develop practical skills in preparing claims and documenting evidence.

GI WACAF is a joint project between the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues, to enhance the capacity of partner States to prepare for and respond to marine oil spills.