IOPC Funds’ Director delivers lecture at IFLOS Summer Academy

On 19 August 2024, IOPC Funds’ Director, Gaute Sivertsen, returned to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg, Germany, where he delivered a lecture to participants of the 2024 Summer Academy, organised by the International Foundation for the Law of the Sea (IFLOS).

The four-week course is dedicated to matters relating to both international law of the sea and maritime law, and attracts a range of participants, including diplomats, practitioners, and PhD students, amongst others.

The Director’s lecture was divided into three sessions, the first of which focused on an overview of the role and structure of the IOPC Funds and the legal framework governing the international liability and compensation regime for ship-source oil pollution.

In the second session, Mr Sivertsen gave insight into the types of claims covered under the 1992 Civil Liability and Fund Conventions, in addition to the general criteria applied by the IOPC Funds in determining their admissibility. He touched on the claims-handling process and the key principles regarding claims submission, highlighting the relevance of good record-keeping and the need for claimants to submit the right documentation.

During the final session, the Director updated his audience on the current oil pollution incidents involving the IOPC Funds and identified the key challenges the organisation is presently focused on, referring especially to the failure of some Member States to comply with their obligations, the potential impact of international sanctions, and the need to ensure treaty-compliant insurance arrangements. He also provided a comprehensive overview of the 2010 Convention on the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) by sea, including its status and financing, and the IOPC Funds’ role in the lead up to its entry into force.

The Director’s presentations were delivered to an engaged audience who asked several questions following the conclusion of each session.