IOPC Funds online Short Course 2021

The annual IOPC Funds Short Course, which was held online this year for the first time, took place between 14 and 25 June 2021.

Rather than the usual week-long intensive course, the programme was adapted to run three hours per day over the course of the two weeks, to ensure participants from various time zones were able to actively participate. This year’s course was attended by participants from 21 Member States of the 1992 Fund, representing maritime administrations, national coast guards and others, with nine Member States participating in the course for the first time.

Despite the remote learning environment, the course still covered all aspects of the work of the IOPC Funds and the international liability and compensation regime in general.  It also included various interactive exercises, which allowed participants to study a theoretical incident and the subsequent claims submission process, and to familiarise themselves with the practices of submitting oil reports and calculating contributions.

Presentations were delivered by several members of the Secretariat and also by each of the supporters of the course, namely IMO, the International Chamber of Shipping, the International Group of P&I Clubs and ITOPF.  Whilst the usual visits on location in London were not possible, the International Group did organise for participants to hear directly from the North of England P&I Club and to attend a virtual tour of the Lloyd’s of London building.

The positive feedback received from participants confirms that the online format of the course proved to be a successful trial and could be developed to possibly run alongside or as an additional option to the London-based course in the future.  Dates for the 2022 course will be confirmed later in the year and further general information on the annual Short Course can be found under the ‘What we do’ section of the website