HNS Convention – New IMO Guide

The IMO has published a guide entitled “The HNS Convention – Why it is Needed” which seeks to encourage States to ratify the Hazardous and Noxious Substances Convention. This Convention was first adopted by the IMO in 1996 but has still to enter into force. States adopted a Protocol in 2010 in an effort to overcome a number of the practical issues which have prevented ratification.

As noted in the Guide, the Convention provides a framework governing liability and compensation for pollution damage caused by HNS materials such as chemicals, non-persistent oils, liquefied gases and substances in solid form carried in bulk or in containers. It closely matches the scope and structure of the 1992 Civil Liability Convention (CLC) and 2001 Bunkers Convention and its implementation would finally see the completion of a comprehensive global regime for pollution from ships.