Updated: 21 January 2003

Comité Maritime International

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The Comité Maritime International (CMI), formed in 1897, is the oldest international organisation in the field of maritime law. It was founded with the prime view of promoting uniformity in maritime law, and to that end it now has 53 national maritime law member associations. The South African Maritime Law Association (SA MLA), itself in existence for over a quarter of a century, was admitted to the CMI in 1995. The national associations' memberships comprise a broad spectrum of those interested in the shipping industry in general, and in maritime law in particular.  It is common to find judges, legal practitioners and academics in the ranks of member associations.

The CMI has consultative status at the UN, and works closely with UNCITRAL and the Legal Committee of the International Maritime Organization (with which it also enjoys consultative status). In its 102 year history it has been instrumental in the drafting and promotion of most significant international maritime law conventions. Included on the CMI's present order book are the negotiation of a new convention on transport law, a review of the law on piracy, and an examination of the liability of classification societies.

In May 1999, Johan Swart and John Hare of the South African MLA attended the CMI's Assembly in New York, which coincided with the centenary celebrations of the USA Maritime Law Association. John Hare was elected to the Council of the CMI for a four-year term. He is the first Council member to be elected from the African continent, and one of his tasks will be to make and maintain contact with other African CMI member associations -- at present Egypt, Nigeria and Morocco. He is helping Prof Francesco Berlingieri to build and maintain the CMI website at www.comitemaritime.org/ in a way which will facilitate better contact between members of national associations and the CMI.

The CMI presented its most recent plenary conference in Singapore in February 2001. The Maritime Law Association of Singapore hosted the occasion and set up a website at www.cmi2001.com.

Professor Hare chaired the session on the CMI's review of marine insurance. The Resolution of the Assembly of the CMI (Marine Insurance), and Professor Hare's Report to the Plenary Session of the CMI Working Group on Marine Insurance, as well as the text of the documents put before the session are available on our site. The documents will be published in the CMI's first volume of source documentation for Singapore in late November 2000. The documents include a resumé of the CMI's marine inssurance work to date, the proposals for Singapore, the CMI questionnaire on marine insurance sent to all national associations, and the comprehensive report of Prof Trine-Lise Wilhelmsen analysing the responses received to the questionnaire. Those responses should be on the CMI site by mid-December 2000. 

Through the UCT Shipping Law site, and during the year via the CMI's own web pages, we will keep you abreast of CMI developments.

	<<== In September 2000 the Spanish Maritime Law Association hosted a CMI symposium. During an outing to Don Quixote country, delegates were treated to a lunch after which we all gathered to witness the "knighting" of the Three Wise Men of the Comité.
(RIGHT): Caballeros de los Don Quixote from left Nic Healy, José Ray and Francesco Berlingieri after being "tapped on the shoulders" with the sword of Don Quixote.

	<<== At the May 1999 CMI Assembly in New York, John Hare (left) hands over a copy of his book "Shipping Law & Admiralty Jurisdiction in SA"   to Professor Frank Wiswall, Vice-President of the CMI. (the onlooker over Prof Hare's shoulder is in fact one of the paintings on exhibit at the Century Club in New York at which the Assembly meeting was held.)
At the New York Assembly meeting Prof Bill Tetley (left) sports his UCT Marine & Shipping Law cap, presented to him as one of the founding teachers of graduate studies in Shipping Law at UCT.

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