Visit by Canada

The Deputy Minister of Transport Canada, Arun Thangaraj and the Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of Safety and Security, Nicholas Robinson paid a courtesy visit to the Director of the IOPC Funds on 30 November 2023.

The Director, Gaute Sivertsen, gave a short overview of the work of the IOPC Funds and discussed some of the difficulties faced by the organisation at present, in particular with regards to international sanctions and the increased risk of exposure to the IOPC Funds.

He took the opportunity to express his appreciation for Canada’s consistent support and active contribution to the organisation over many years.  At present Canada holds the position of Chair of the Supplementary Fund Assembly, Mr François Marier, and has put forward a member of the IOPC Funds’ Audit Body, Mr Alfred Popp K.C., who was re-elected for a second term in November 2023.

The Secretariat enjoys strong cooperation with the State in many areas, in particular in respect of their active support and promotion of the 2010 HNS Convention, to which it is a contracting State.  The IOPC Funds also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Canadian Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund earlier in 2023, in order to encourage strong working practices in the event of an incident involving the two organisations.