The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), has urged other African countries to ratify the United Nation Convention On Contracts For The International Carriage Of Goods Wholly Or Partly By Sea also know as Rotterdam Rules.
Making the plea yesterday at the Validation Colloquium of the Rotterdam Rules, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Barr. Hassan Bello who hosted his counterparts under the auspices of Union of African Shippers’ Council (UASC) in Abuja said the non ratification of the rules is eroding the hope of operating a more unified, balanced and modern carriage of goods regime.
He said the Rotterdam rules is the solution to the muddled up confusion and uncertainties in the law of carriage of goods by sea.
“The Rotterdam rules will cater for technological advancement and developments in modern trade practices which were not considered by any of the existing previous instruments – Hague and Hamburg rules.”
“The Rotterdam rules was expected to be a more comprehensive, more perfect, more balance, more mordern and more enduring carriage of goods regime.”
Bello stated further that the significance of the Rotterdam rules was that both developed and developing countries are signatories to the convention.
“It is worthy to note that the Hamburg rules is favoured by developing nations who are largely cargo owners and shunned by developing nations who represented carrier interest and who prefer the Hague rules or the visby protocol with the side protection of their interest but one significant thing about the Rotterdam rules is that the original signatories to the convention are a mixture of developed and developing countries, strong shipowning and traditional cargo interest nations or what one may call traditional carrier or shipper nations.
“The 25 signatories to the Rotterdam rules represent well over 25 per cent world Trade volume. This is quite significant when compared with the five per cent world Trade volume represented by the over 30 contracting members to the Hamburg rules.
“However, the poor ratification profile of the convention is beginning to erode the hope of operating a more unified, balanced and modern carriage regime.
“The Rotterdam rules make provision for the Regulation of certain matters in connection with the International carriage of goods, which were not considered or regulated by the previous carriage conventions.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi also enjoined other African countries who has not ratified the convention to do so.
Amaechi who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Alhaji Subair Zakari told other African countries to follow the foot step of Republic of Congo and Togo that have both ratified the rules in Africa.
We are here today to continue to focus attention on the need for other African countries to focus attention on the need for other African countries to take the step that the Republic of Congo took several years ago when it ratified the Rotterdam rules.
“I expressed hope that Nigeria and other countries in the West and Central Africa sub region will take the bull by the horn and ensure the ratification and subsequent domestication of the Rotterdam Rules.”
African countries present at the validation colloquium are Republic of Benin, Cameroun, Congo Brazzaville, Congo DR, Ghana Senegal and Togo.