Canada Accedes to Nairobi WRC

Hazardous shipwrecks can cause many problems. Depending on its location, a wreck may be a hazard to navigation, potentially endangering other vessels and their crews.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention (WRC) goes some way to resolving these issues. It covers the legal basis for States to remove, or have removed, shipwrecks, drifting ships, objects from ships at sea, and floating offshore installations.

The Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007, was adopted by an international conference held in Kenya in 2007. The Convention provides a set of uniform international rules aimed at ensuring the prompt and effective removal of wrecks located beyond the territorial sea.

Canada has become the 44th State to accede to this important IMO treaty.

Janice Charette, High Commissioner & Permanent Representative of Canada to IMO, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters, London (30 April 2019) to deposit the instrument of accession.