The prestigious International Maritime Prize for 2015 is to be awarded to Dr. Frank Lawrence Wiswall Junior, former Chair of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Legal Committee and Vice-President (Honoris Causa) Comité Maritime International (CMI), for his contribution to the work of IMO over many years.
The IMO Council has decided to award the Prize, noting Dr. Wiswall's personal contribution to the work of IMO, leading IMO’s Legal Committee as it developed a number of key international treaties and holding important roles at various international IMO legal and diplomatic conferences.
As a lecturer at the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) in Malta and as a Member of its Governing Board from 1992 to the present, Dr. Wiswall has also made a significant contribution to the training of lawyers from around the world.
In nominating his candidature for the International Maritime Prize, the CMI said Dr. Wiswall had contributed greatly to the establishment of the uniformity of maritime law during his long and distinguished career as a practising maritime lawyer, academic and Vice-President of the CMI.
The International Maritime Prize is awarded annually by IMO to the individual or organization judged to have made the most significant contribution to the work and objectives of the Organization. It consists of a sculpture in the form of a dolphin and includes a financial award, upon submission of an academic paper written on a subject relevant to IMO.