Norway becomes first State to ratify the 2010 HNS Protocol

The Director was pleased to welcome Ms Dilek Ayhan, State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and the Chairman of the 1992 Fund Assembly, Mr Gaute Sivertsen, to the IOPC Funds office on Friday 21 April 2017 and had the honour of being present as the instrument of ratification of the 2010 HNS Protocol was handed to IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at the IMO Headquarters. Although eight States (Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway and Turkey) signed the 2010 HNS Protocol, subject to ratification, Norway is the first State to ratify the Protocol (Click for photos.).
The Director of the IOPC Funds has been given the role of carrying out the tasks necessary to set up the International Hazardous and Noxious Substances Fund (HNS Fund) and making preparations for the first session of the HNS Assembly. Following the meeting today he stated: “I am delighted that Norway has taken all the necessary steps to become the first State to ratify the Convention. This is great progress and I hope that further States will soon follow Norway and bring about the entry into force of the 2010 HNS Convention.”
The 1992 Fund Secretariat undertakes a number of administrative tasks in cooperation with IMO in relation to the preparations for the entry into force of the Convention. It also remains available to support States in their efforts to prepare for ratification or accession to the HNS Convention and industry stakeholders on technical issues. For further information please visit www.hnsconvention.org.