Abu Dhabi, February 03: In efforts to better safeguard the maritime transportation across the region in particular and major maritime countries over the world, industry experts gathered in the Capital on Wednesday to share challenges and new avenues set by the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea, known as the Rotterdam Rules.
The conference was aimed to raise local and regional awareness about these new rules that will impact international maritime transport and ease their decision about its ratification.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) and Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (PSUAD) organised the first ‘Transport and Maritime Law Conference’ which will conclude today.
Speaking at the conference on behalf of Dr Nasser Al Mansoori, Director-General of NTA, Salem Al Zaabi, Executive Director of the Marine Transport Sector at the NTA, said the Rotterdam Rules are important for the UAE as it is the home of top ranking charters, owners and operators.
The NTA is always looking to improve the maritime sector in the UAE and adopt the best practice to ensure international standards are met.
Al Mansoori said this rule had been ratified by more than 20 countries that cover all major trading nations and maritime countries accounting for roughly one third of the world trade.
The maritime industry experts discussed technical challenges relating to the Rotterdam Rules including shippers’ obligations, terminal operators’ perspective, civil law, liabilities and insurance.
Maritime industry experts also evaluated the rules and came up with constructive advice.
Professor Dr Jean-Yves de Cara, Executive Director of Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, said: “Many years later, you, as imminent scholars and professors, are gathered in Abu-Dhabi to make sure that, through the 2009 United Nations Convention on the matter, known as the Rotterdam Rules, the law of maritime transport has indeed improved and been adjusted to meet the needs of this region.”
Luca G Castellani, Legal Officer at the International Trade Law Division at the United Nations, remarked that the region has a long-standing tradition of engagement in maritime trade and of support for efficient legal rules.
The conference was organised under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Public Works, Chairman of the National Transport Authority and Chairman of the National Media Council.
The Rotterdam Rules have already been ratified by more than 20 signatory nations including Armenia, Cameroon, Congo, Congo RDC, Denmark, France, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Senegal, Spain, Switzerland, Togo, and the USA, all major trading and maritime nations which account together for approximately one-third of the world trade.
On December 11, 2008, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the ‘United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea’.
The signing ceremony was held in Rotterdam on September 25, 2009.
–Agencies–