The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has warned that governments must not impede the smooth operation of a global maritime regulatory regime by failing to ratify and implement crucial maritime conventions.
The chamber has advised that it is crucial that the same regulations governing matters such as safety, environmental protection, liability and seafarers' working conditions apply to all ships in international trade. Moreover, the same laws must apply to all parts of the voyage.
The instruments which ICS believes that more governments should ratify as a matter of priority include:
The ICS and its sister organisation, the International Shipping Federation (ISF), have produced a campaign brochure that reiterates the importance of maritime treaty ratification. The brochure is intended to help member national shipowner associations lobby their governments to support the global regulatory system that shipping requires.
The brochure is available online at www.ics-shipping.org.