One of the main sources of maritime law
Is international conventions, which are drafted and promoted by international public and private bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the International Maritime Committee (CMI), with the support of other regional organizations such as the Ibero-American Institute of Maritime Law (IIDM).
Colombia has recently made significant progress in ratifying key international maritime conventions. After 20 years of inactivity in this area, the Colombian Maritime Authority (DIMAR) began the process of ratifying the following international conventions:
- The 1988 Protocol to the SOLAS Convention – Law 2419 of 2024
- The 1998 Protocol to the International Convention on Load Lines (LL) - Law 2419 of 2024
- The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWN) – Law 2362 of 2024
The Presidency of the Republic
Has already signed the laws approving these international agreements and, in accordance with constitutional provisions, the Constitutional Court is currently reviewing them as part of the ratification process. Once the Court has issued its ruling, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will send the notes confirming ratification. We hope that this process will be completed this year.
At the initiative of DIMAR, Congress is currently studying bills for the ratification of the following international agreements:
- International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (BUNKERS)
- Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007 (WRC NAIROBI)
- International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 1996/2010 (NHS)
- Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972/1996 (CLD/LDC)
Finally
DIMAR has also included in its work agenda for 2025, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the presentation of bills to Congress for the ratification of the following international agreements:
- Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, 1988, and its Protocols of 2005 (SUA).
- Annex VI of the MARPOL Convention.
The ratification of the main international conventions is a fundamental step toward updating, modernizing, and unifying Colombian maritime law. It is important to highlight the work of the Maritime Legal Group and the International Affairs Group of DIMAR, whose efforts have been fundamental in achieving this goal, and we hope that they will continue this work in the coming years.
