Cyprus Accepts Wreck Removal Certificates Issued Under Nairobi Convention

The Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks (adopted on May 18 2007) will enter into force on April 14 2015, a year after gaining approval from the requisite number of countries.

The convention provides the legal basis for states to remove (or order the removal of) shipwrecks that have the potential to affect adversely the safety of lives, goods and property at sea, as well as the marine environment. Under the convention, a set of uniform international rules aimed at ensuring the prompt and effective removal of wrecks will come into force, placing financial responsibility for the removal of certain hazardous wrecks on shipowners, thus making insurance compulsory.