IMO announced that France has ratified the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks.
Adopted in 2007, this convention provides the legal basis for States to remove, or have removed, shipwrecks that may threaten the safety of lives, goods and property at sea, as well as the marine environment.
It also provides uniform international rules for the prompt and effective removal of wrecks located beyond territorial seas.
Articles in the Convention cover:
- reporting and locating ships and wrecks – covering the reporting of casualties to the nearest coastal State; warnings to mariners and coastal States about the wreck; and action by the coastal State to locate the ship or wreck;
- criteria for determining the hazard posed by wrecks, including depth of water above the wreck, proximity of shipping routes, traffic density and frequency, type of traffic and vulnerability of port facilities. Environmental criteria such as damage likely to result from the release into the marine environment of cargo or oil are also included;
- measures to facilitate the removal of wrecks, including rights and obligations to remove hazardous ships and wrecks – which sets out when the shipowner is responsible for removing the wreck and when a State may intervene;
- liability of the owner for the costs of locating, marking and removing ships and wrecks – the registered shipowner is required to maintain compulsory insurance or other financial security to cover liability under the convention; and
- settlement of disputes.
H.E. Nicole Taillefer, Permanent Representative of France to IMO, met IMO Secrtary-General Kitack Lim and deposited the instrument of ratificationon February 4th, 2016
Source & Image Credit: IMO
