Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization

OVERVIEW OF THE CASE

The Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) (now the International Maritime Organization (IMO)) comprises, among other organs, an Assembly and a Maritime Safety Committee. Under the terms of Article 28 (a) of the Convention for the establishment of the organization, this Committee consists of 14 members elected by the Assembly from the members of the organization having an important interest in maritime safety, “of which not less than eight shall be the largest ship-owning nations”. When, on 15 January 1959, the IMCO Assembly, for the first time, proceeded to elect the members of the Committee, it elected neither Liberia nor Panama, although those two States were among the eight members of the organization which possessed the largest registered tonnage. Subsequently, the Assembly decided to ask the Court whether the Maritime Safety Committee had been constituted in accordance with the Convention for the establishment of the organization. In its Advisory Opinion of 8 June 1960, the Court replied to this question in the negative.


This overview is provided for information only and in no way involves the responsibility of the Court.

Request for Advisory Opinion

25 March 1959
Request for Advisory Opinion (including the dossier of documents transmitted to the Court pursuant to article 65, paragraph 2 of the Statute)
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Written proceedings

17 November 1959
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Oral proceedings

Verbatim record 1960/2 (bilingual version)
Minutes of the Public Hearings held at the Peace Palace, The Hague, from 26 April to 4 May and on 8 June 1960, the President, Mr. Klaestad, presiding
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Other documents


Orders

Fixing of time-limit: Written Statements
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Advisory opinions


Summaries of Judgments and Orders

Summary of the Advisory Opinion of 8 June 1960
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Press releases

26 March 1959
Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization - The Assembly of Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization submits to the Court a request for an advisory opinion
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20 August 1959
Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization - The States Members of the International Maritime Consultative Organization as well as that Organization itself are considered likely to be able to furnish information on the question
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28 December 1959
Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization - List of the governments from which the Court has received written statements or communications
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21 March 1960
Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization - The hearings will begin on Tuesday, 26 April 1960
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25 April 1960
Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization - Representatives of the States participating in the oral proceedings
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26 April 1960
Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization - Hearing of 26 April 1960
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29 April 1960
Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization - Hearings of 26 to 29 April 1960
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4 May 1960
Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization - Hearings of 2 to 4 May 1960
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6 June 1960
Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization - The Court will deliver its Advisory Opinion on 8 June 1960
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8 June 1960
Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization - Advisory Opinion
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Correspondence

23 March 1959
Correspondence
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