IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) has approved, in principle, the draft Polar Code and related amendments to make the Code mandatory under SOLAS, with a view to formal adoption at its next session in November. The MSC also adopted important SOLAS amendments related to inert gas systems as well as amendments to a number of treaties to bring into force the mandatory IMO audit scheme. Work on passenger ship safety also continued. More details on the result of the 93rd session of the Maritime Commitee can be found here.
Monthly Archives: May 2014
IMO: draft Polar Code approved at Maritime Safety Committee session
Filed under International Organizations
Conference: “Boat Refugees” and migrants at sea
The Refugee Law Initiative, University of London, and the Department of Law at Queen Mary University of London presents a conference titled ‘ “Boat Refugees” and migrants at sea: a comprehensive approach – integrating maritime security with human rights’. This conference aims to comprehensively address the contemporary phenomenon of ‘boat migration’ with a holistic approach. We will consider its multiple facets, combining knowledge from several disciplines and regions of the world, with a view to making a decisive contribution to our understanding of current trends, against the background of the fragmentary responses adopted and innumerable tragedies occurred thus far. The conference happens on 23 and 24 June 2014. More information here.
Filed under Events
UN: Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea, 15th meeting
The fifteenth meeting of the Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea will take place between the 27-30 May, 2014, at the United Nations Headquarters. The topic of the meeting is “the role of seafood in global food security”. More information on this meeting, and all previous meetings is available here.
Filed under International Organizations
EEZ delimitation agreement signed (Philippines/Indonesia)
After twenty years of negotiations, the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Republic Indonesia concerning the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone boundary has been successfully signed. The Agreement was met with support by the European Union. Further information on this achievement is provided by the Philippines Government here.
The PH-RI EEZ Boundary is defined by geodetic lines connecting eight points. These points are indicated in geographical coordinates that form a single line as illustrated in the chart shown below. The total length of the line is 627.51 nautical miles or 1,162.2 kilometers from points 1 to 8.
Filed under Treaties
IMO: Maritime Safety Committee, 93rd session
The IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) will meet at the Organization’s London headquarters for its 93rd session, from the 14 to 23 May 2014. The MSC is expected to adopt amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) related to lifeboat safety; continue its action plan of work on passenger ship safety, following the Costa Concordia incident; review the draft mandatory Polar Code and related draft SOLAS amendments; adopt amendments to SOLAS and other treaties to make mandatory the IMO Member State Audit Scheme; adopt a number of other important amendments; and consider items submitted by the sub-committees. More information available here.
Filed under International Organizations
EMSA: 5-Year Strategy (2014-2019)
The European Maritime Safety Agency has just published its 5-year strategy for 2014-2019. The strategy provides clear and concrete guidelines for EMSA’s future development and has been updated to reflect the changes brought about by the revised founding regulation, in force since March 2013. The document is now available here.
Filed under International Organizations
Call for Papers: ESIL IG Law of the Sea
The Law of the Sea Interest Group of the European Society of International Law has issued a call for papers for the 10th Anniversary Conference of the Society, to take place in Vienna on September 3rd, 2014. Here is the call.
Filed under Calls
Journals: The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law
Brill just opened a call for article submissions to The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law. Articles for publication can be submitted online through Editorial Manager here.
Thomson’s Scientific Journal Citation Report for 2012 ranks The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law with an Impact Factor of 0.235
Filed under Journals
De Maribus 