IOPC Funds contributes to the 11th International Conference of Maritime Law

The IOPC Funds contributed to the 11th International Conference of Maritime Law, which took place in Piraeus, Greece, from 2 to 4 October 2025. The event, held under the theme “Maritime Risks, Revisited”, explored key legal, regulatory, and practical issues in the maritime sector, including the roles of coastal and flag States, environmental challenges, technological advances, and related international and EU regulations.

The IOPC Funds’ HNS Project Manager, Gillian Grant, provided an overview of the organisation and the status of the 2010 Convention on the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) by sea. Her presentation highlighted how recent HNS incidents, particularly the allision of the MV Stena Immaculate and the MV Solong in the North Sea in March 2025, have underlined gaps in the international liability and compensation framework that will be addressed once the 2010 HNS Convention enters into force.

Twelve States must accede to the HNS Protocol for the treaty to enter into force. To date, eight States have ratified the Protocol, with commitments from several others to ratify in the near future. It is anticipated that the 2010 HNS Convention will enter into force in 2027, 18 months after the criteria have been met.