Upcoming events

The next meeting of the IOPC Funds’ governing bodies will take place from 29 April to 1 May 2024. A circular containing the invitation and provisional agenda has now been issued and further information can be found here.

Additionally, the Secretariat has also confirmed an extra workshop on the 2010 HNS Convention mediately following the April 2024 sessions of the IOPC Funds’ governing bodies, from Wednesday 1 to Thursday 2 May 2024. More information on the workshop can be found here.

A workshop on the 2010 HNS Convention has been organised by the IOPC Funds, in cooperation with the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The workshop is scheduled to take place in the main conference hall of the IMO Headquarters building immediately after the closure of the IOPC Funds’ meeting, from 2.30 pm on Wednesday, 1 May, and will continue on Thursday, 2 May, from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm.  Both in person and remote participation using the IMO hybrid meeting facility will be available.

A provisional programme is available here.  A joint online registration form for both the IOPC Funds’ meeting and the HNS Convention workshop is available via the documents services section of the IOPC Funds’ website

The IOPC Funds are continuing with the third module of the organisation’s webinar series, which will focus on claims for compensation, with the next session entitled “Key steps to a successful claim”, set to take place on 15 May 2024.  Following the format of the entire series, this event will consist of a short 15‐minute presentation, followed by 15 minutes of questions.

The webinar series, which is being delivered initially in English only, is open to any interested party and participants can opt to attend either the full series or only those webinars of particular interest to them.   Divided into four modules the full programme (available here) consists of a total of 11 webinars covering everything from the basic understanding of the Conventions, to the financing of the system, the types of claims that arise from tanker incidents and the claims submission process.

This session will provide an overview of the claims process in the event of an oil pollution incident. It will also highlight the criteria for assessing claims and the need for claimants to submit the right supporting documentation.

To accommodate participants from different time zones, this session will be conducted at two separate times.

Please register for the session here.

The IOPC Funds have been invited to participate in the 2024 RAMOGEPOL exercise from 28 to 30 May in Viareggio, Italy. RAMOGEPOL is an emergency response plan set up by France, Italy, and Monaco to combat marine pollution accidents in the Mediterranean.

The event will include a simulation exercise at sea and onshore involving maritime response agencies from the three countries, national and local authorities, as well as non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to strengthen cooperation between the three coastal States. IOPC Funds Senior Claims Manager, Chiara Della Mea, will give a presentation on clean-up claims for compensation and participate in the exercise as part of the Evaluation Group. 

The Director has the pleasure to announce that the annual IOPC Funds Annual Academy will take place from Monday, 17 June to Friday, 21 June 2024 at the IOPC Funds headquarters in London.

The week-long programme will cover all aspects of the work of the IOPC Funds and will include practical exercises involving a theoretical incident and the subsequent claims submission process.  The Annual Academy is supported by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Group of P&I Associations, INTERTANKO and ITOPF.

Candidates should submit their nomination via the online application form within the External Relations page of the website by Friday, 17 May 2024.

The IOPC Funds will participate in the 7th edition of Oil Spill India, an international conference and exhibition which focuses on oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response.

This year’s event, scheduled to take place on 11 and 12 September 2024 in New Delhi, India, will be held on the theme “Commitment, Synergy, and Excellence”.

The IOPC Funds will play an active role in the event as it did at previous editions of the conference. The Secretariat will also hold an exhibition stand. Further information can be found here.

The next regular meeting of the IOPC Funds governing bodies will take place during the week commencing 4 November 2024. A circular containing the invitation and provisional agenda will be issued nearer the time. Further information can be found here.

Interspill 2025, the European oil spill conference and exhibition, will take place at ExCeL London, in London, United Kingdom, from 8-10 April 2025. As a supporter of the event and member of the organising committee, the IOPC Funds’ Secretariat is involved in the organisation of the conference and will also have a stand at the exhibition, providing information on the work of the organisation as well as guidance on the claims process and admissibility criteria. 

As a leading event for oil spill research, prevention, preparedness, the conference will focus on increased spill risk caused by oil production’s shift towards mature basins, often with older infrastructure, and on concerns over pollutants like debris and plastics. 

Delegates will be addressed by global thought-leaders representing international spill response companies, the private sector, as well as governmental and non- governmental bodies. Prospective participants, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors are invited to indicate their interest in attending by registering here. 

A number of seminars, workshops, training events, and networking activities are planned to run in parallel with the conference and exhibition.   

The IOPC Funds are looking forward to this opportunity to engage directly with the response community, to raise awareness of the role of the organisation, and to contribute to the training activities relating to preparedness by discussing claims for compensation for damage caused by a major oil spill or hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) incident.