A regional workshop in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam (20-24 January) is helping countries better understand and implement IMO liability and compensation conventions, which are vital to ensuring adequate, prompt and efficient cost recovery and compensation for victims of maritime incidents.
Hosted by the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam (MPABD) and delivered by IMO, the workshop brings together representatives from 14 Member States, including Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic (the), Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines (the), Singapore and Sri Lanka.
IMO's liability and compensation regime includes numerous conventions, international legal instruments and guidance, which are key to ensure victims of maritime incidents such as oil spills, wreck removal or ship collisions, receive fair compensation while holding shipowners accountable. The workshop offers participants a comprehensive overview of the conventions, their development, principles and real-world applications.
Opening the event, Permanent Secretary of Brunei's Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications of Brunei, Ir. Haji Mohammad Nazri bin Haji Mohammad Yusof, encouraged Member States to accede to and domesticate all relevant IMO instruments. He highlighted the workshop's role in encouraging further accessions to IMO conventions, emphasizing how this would support victims of maritime incidents and bolster sustainable shipping.
During the week, experts from the IMO Secretariat's Legal and External Relations Division, the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Funds, and the Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs will lead presentations and discussions. Delegates will also share insights on national legislative processes and any challenges and solutions in aligning with IMO regulations, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration.
The workshop, co-funded by Brunei and Malaysia as part of IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP), is expected to advance the ratification, accession, implementation, and enforcement of IMO liability conventions across the participating nations.
