| United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea | |
|---|---|
| Drafted | 11 December 2008 |
| Signed | 23 September 2009 |
| Location | Rotterdam and New York |
| Effective | not in force |
| Condition | Ratification by 20 states |
| Signatories | 21 |
| Ratifiers | 1 (Spain) |
| Depositary | UN Secretary-General |
| Languages | Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish |
| Admiralty law |
|---|
| History |
| Ordinamenta et consuetudo maris Amalfian Laws Hanseatic League |
| Features |
| Freight rate · General average Marine insurance · Marine salvage Maritime lien · Ship mortgage Ship registration · Ship transport Shipping |
| Contracts of affreightment |
| Bill of lading · Charter-party |
| Types of charter-party |
| Bareboat charter · Demise charter Time charter · Voyage charter |
| Parties |
| Carrier · Charterer · Consignee Consignor · Shipbroker · Ship-manager Ship-owner · Shipper · Stevedore |
| Judiciary |
| Admiralty court Vice admiralty court |
| International conventions |
| Hague-Visby Rules Hamburg Rules Rotterdam Rules UNCLOS Maritime Labour Convention |
| International organisations |
| International Maritime Organization London Maritime Arbitrators Association |
The "Rotterdam Rules", formally the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea is a treaty comprising international rules that revises the legal and political framework for maritime carriage of goods. The convention establishes a modern, comprehensive, uniform legal regime governing the rights and obligations of shippers, carriers and consignees under a contract for door-to-door shipments that involve international sea transport.[1] The aim of the convention is to extend and modernize international rules already in existence and achieve uniformity of admiralty law in the field of maritime carriage, updating and/or replacing many provisions in the Hague Rules, Hague-Visby Rules and Hamburg Rules.[1][2]
The final draft of the Rotterdam Rules, which was assembled by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, was adopted by the United Nations on December 11, 2008 and a signing ceremony commenced in Rotterdam, Netherlands (the convention's informal namesake) on September 23, 2009.[2][3] Signers included United States, France, Greece, Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands; in all, signatures were obtained from countries which are said to make up 25 percent of world trade by volume.[4] Signatures were allowed after the ceremony at the UN Headquarters in New York City, New York, United States.[3]
The World Shipping Council is a prominent supporter of the Rotterdam Rules. In 2010, the American Bar Association House of Delegates approved a resolution supporting U.S. ratification of the Rotterdam Rules.[5][6]
Contents |
The following are critical provisions and law changes found in the Rotterdam Rules.
The Rotterdam Rules will enter into effect when 20 countries ratify that treaty.[7] As of 9 August 2011, there are 24 signatories to the treaty.[7] The most recent country to sign the treaty was Sweden, which signed on 20 July 2011.[7] Spain was the first and as of August 2011 only country to ratify the convention in January 2011.[8] An overview of signatures and ratifications is shown below:
Upon entry into force of the convention for a country, it should denounce the conventions governing the Hague-Visby Rules as well as the Hamburg Rules as the convention does not come into effect without such denouncements.
| Country | Signature | Ratification |
|---|---|---|
| Armenia | 29 September 2009 | |
| Cameroon | 29 September 2009 | |
| Congo | 23 September 2009 | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 23 September 2010 | |
| Denmark | 23 September 2009 | |
| France | 23 September 2009 | |
| Gabon | 23 September 2009 | |
| Ghana | 23 September 2009 | |
| Greece | 23 September 2009 | |
| Guinea | 23 September 2009 | |
| Luxembourg | 31 August 2010 | |
| Madagascar | 25 September 2009 | |
| Mali | 26 October 2009 | |
| Netherlands | 23 September 2009 | |
| Niger | 22 October 2009 | |
| Nigeria | 23 September 2009 | |
| Norway | 23 September 2009 | |
| Poland | 23 September 2009 | |
| Senegal | 23 September 2009 | |
| Spain | 23 September 2009 | 19 January 2011 |
| Sweden | 20 July 2011 | |
| Switzerland | 23 September 2009 | |
| Togo | 23 September 2009 | |
| United States | 23 September 2009 |