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With its ratification of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea, known as the Rotterdam Rules, Togo becomes the second State Party to the Convention.
The Rotterdam Rules were adopted by the General Assembly on December 11, 2008 to establish a uniform and modern global legal regime governing the rights and obligations of stakeholders in the maritime transport industry under a single contract for door-to-door carriage. The Rules build upon earlier conventions governing the international carriage of goods by sea and codify important industry practice, thus providing a modern alternative to those earlier conventions. The Rules provide a legal framework that accounts for the many technological and commercial developments that have taken place in maritime transport since the adoption of the earlier conventions, including the growth of containerization, the need for door-to-door transport under a single contract of carriage and the development of electronic commerce.
The Rotterdam Rules have already been signed by 24 States and were also ratified by Spain. The Rules will enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of one year after the date of deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession. Further information on the Rules is available on the UNCITRAL website.
