Moldova joins two international maritime conventions

Moldova is joining two international conventions in the maritime field, aimed at contributing to environmental protection and strengthening navigation safety. The parliament today adopted, in both first and second readings, the draft laws on accession to the two instruments, adopted under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization, in order to establish a unified legal framework in the field.

The 2007 Nairobi Convention sets out clear rules for identifying, marking and removing shipwrecks that may endanger navigation safety or the marine environment, and is the main international legal instrument in this area. The document stipulates that shipowners are obliged to bear the costs of wreck removal operations and to hold insurances that are to cover any interventions, thereby eliminating legal ambiguities and ensuring the resources needed for maritime emergency situations.

Also, the 2009 Hong Kong Convention regulates the decommissioning and recycling of ships, imposing strict standards for the protection of workers and the environment in the process of managing hazardous materials contained in ships’ structures. It is the only international legal instrument in this field, developed in response to unsafe and polluting practices that exist worldwide.

Secretary of State for Transport at the Infrastructure and Regional Development Ministry Mircea Pascaluta emphasized that accession to the two conventions would align Moldova with the international standards promoted by the International Maritime Organization and would strengthen regional cooperation in the field of navigation safety and marine environmental protection.

“For Moldova, accession will help strengthen its status as a responsible state, enhance the country’s international reliability and deepen cooperation with European and international partners in the environmental field. Accession will support environmental protection and sustainable development objectives promoted at the national and European levels,” said Mircea Pascaluta.

The two conventions will also contribute to increasing environmental safety in the Port of Giurgiulesti, reducing the risk of pollution in ships’ operation and recycling, as well as developing cooperation with the Black Sea littoral states and partners from the European Union within the circular economy and sustainable transport.

The conventions will enter into force after their ratification by parliament.