The
Comité Maritime International (CMI) was established
in 1897 with the declared aim of unifying international
maritime law. In achieving this aim, the founders of
the CMI stated that they were keen to receive input
from the whole maritime industry including ship operators,
bankers, insurers and adjusters - this was not simply
to be a lawyers' organisation.
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The CMI drafted many of the Conventions and Rules familiar
to the maritime industry:
- Hague Rules
- Collision and Salvage Conventions
- York-Antwerp Rules
- Conventions on Limitation of Liability
- Maritime Liens and Mortgages
- Arrests
- Carriage of Passengers by Sea
- and, more recently, Rules for Sea Waybills and for
Electronic Bills of Lading.
Whereas in the past the CMI was almost the sole drafter
of these maritime Conventions and Rules, in more recent
years, the CMI has worked closely with other international
organisations such as IMO, UNCITAD and UNCITRAL and
has prepared draft preliminary texts and provided advice
during negotiations. The CMI both responds to requests
for in-put from these inter-governmental organisations
and also initiates texts of new laws which may be adopted
by these organisations.
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