Wreck Removal Convention 27 December 2007 No.07-009 The Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wreck, 2007 was adopted by a Diplomatic Conference held by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on 18 May2007. By way of background, the IMO estimates that there are 1,300 abandoned wrecks worldwide, which number is expected to increase, giving rise to significant problems for coastal states and the shipping industry in general. The new Convention creates a uniform international legal basis and establishes a procedure for the prompt and effective removal of wrecks that may pose a hazard to navigational safety and the marine environment. The Convention also provides for the reimbursement of costs incurred in the removal of wrecks. In particular, the Convention imposes an obligation on the registered owner for the removal of a wreck, failing which the State Party can do so at the expense of the registered owner. In order to ensure financial security for the cost of wreck removal, a compulsory insurance system has been introduced. A summary of the Convention and the relevant articles are as follows. 1.Obligation of the Owner for Removal of Wreck A "Registered Owner" shall remove a wreck which lies in a Convention area which a State Party has determined may reasonably constitute a hazard to navigational safety or the marine environment. "Convention area" (Article 1.1) "Convention area" means the exclusive economic zone of a State Party, or-if such zone has not been established-an area beyond, and adjacent to, the territorial sea, not extending more than 200 nautical miles. A State Party may also extend the provisions of the Convention to particular areas in their jurisdiction, such as a territorial sea(Article 3.2). "Wreck"(Article 1.4) "Maritime Casualty" means a collision of ships, stranding, some other incident of navigation or occurrence which results in material damage, or imminent threat of material damage, to a ship or its cargo. "Wreck", following