Our Ref: IOPC/FUND/MA
The Director,
International Oil Pollution
Compensation Fund,
Albert Embankment,
London SE1 7SR
(Attn: Mr. J. Jacobsson)
Hong Kong Government Office 香港政府駐英辦事處
6 Grafton Street London WIX 3LB
28 April 1993
Dear Mr. Jacobsson,
The International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage 1971 (FUND 1971) and the 1976 Protocol, apply to the United Kingdom. The Convention has been extended to Hong Kong.
Article 18(10) of the Fund Convention states that (subject to Article 26) the functions of the IOPC Assembly shall be:-
"to determine which non-Contracting States and which international non-governmental organisations shall be admitted
take part, without voting rights, in
to
meetings of the Assembly, the Executive Committee, and subsidiary bodies"
Hong Kong is an Associate Member of the IMO and under the Rules of Procedures for the Civil Liability Convention and the Fund Convention (and their Protocols) Associate Members "may participate without the right to vote in the deliberations of the Conference, its Committees and other subsidiary bodies". It seems not unreasonable to extend the same principle to the administration of the IOPC Fund.
The purpose of this letter is to seek the approval of the Assembly for Hong Kong to attend as an Observer, future meetings of the IOPC Assembly and the Executive Committee.
Yours faithfully,
DAH/ks
(D.A. Hall)
Permanent Representative to IMO
Tel: 071-499 9821
Fax: 071-493 1964 071-495 5033