Last week, Sweden signed the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea, known as the Rotterdam Rules, at UN headquarters in New York. With Sweden 24 countries have signed the document so far.
The Rotterdam Rules were adopted by the General Assembly on 11 December 2008 to establish a uniform and modern global legal regime governing the rights and obligations of stakeholders in the maritime transport industry under a single contract for door-to-door carriage. The Convention builds upon, and provides a modern alternative to earlier conventions governing the international carriage of goods by sea, as well as codifying important industry practice.
Legal Framework
The Rules provide a legal framework that accounts for the many technological and commercial developments that have taken place in maritime transport since the adoption of the earlier conventions, including the growth of containerization, the need for door-to-door transport under a single contract of carriage and the development of electronic commerce.
24 States Have Signed
The Rotterdam Rules have already been signed by 24 States and were ratified by Spain. The Rules will enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of one year after the date of deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession. Further information on the Rules is available on the https://www.uncitral.org[UNCITRAL website].
