The Russian Maritime Law Association “RUMLA” has been accepted as a member of the Comité maritime international (CMI). “RUMLA” was accepted as a national association from Russia 4 years after the expulsion of the successor of the Soviet association from CMI membership at the CMI annual meeting held online.

The Comité Maritime International (CMI) is one of the oldest and most reputable international non-governmental organisations, founded in Antwerp, Belgium, at the turn of the XIX and XX centuries during a period of rapid economic development, international trade and law. Since 1897, CMI brings together the various national maritime law associations for the purpose of contributing by all appropriate means and activities to the unification of maritime law in all its aspects, ensuring a reasonable and consistent application of the law in the various countries.

Thanks to the CMI uniform international rules and conventions have been adopted by the major maritime nations, and subsequently been developed and repeatedly updated, e.g. salvage at sea, carriage of passengers and their luggage, bills of lading, limitations of liability of shipowners and many others. The International Sub-Committees and subsequent CMI Conferences are responsible for the initial development of each Convention considered by the IMO Legal Committee with the exception of the 1969 Convention on Intervention, the 1973 Protocol and the 1996 HNS.

Russian representatives, professors from the University of St. Petersburg, have participated in CMI activities since the very first CMI conference. After World War I and the revolution professional interaction ceased. It was not until 1969 that the Soviet Maritime Law Association, based in Moscow and established a year earlier by the Soviet government, was admitted to the CMI as a member from the USSR.

In 2017, the successor of the Soviet association was expelled from the CMI for repeated violations of regulations, resulting in the termination of Russia’s representation in the CMI. It took four years of organisational work to bring Russian maritime lawyers back to the CMI.

On 30th September 2021, the General Assembly (annual general meeting) of the CMI was held who voted for the Russian Maritime Law Association (RUMLA) to be accepted as the to the CMI as a national maritime law association from Russia. The resolution of the CMI Assembly was almost unanimous (passed by a general vote of the CMI members).

Russian lawyers will now be able to take part in the work of CMI. Communicating the interests to foreign and international players, producing uniform rules for the maritime market is a necessity not only for the legal community, but for the maritime business as a whole. ■