International Convention On Civil Liability For Oil Pollution Damage

The International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (CLC) is a maritime treaty that was adopted in 1969 under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The convention was designed to ensure that adequate compensation is available to persons who suffer oil pollution damage resulting from maritime casualties involving oil-carrying ships. The convention places the liability for such damage on the owner of the polluting ship and requires that ship owner to maintain insurance or other financial security to cover the liability for oil pollution damage. The CLC applies to all seagoing vessels actually carrying oil in bulk as cargo, but only ships carrying more than 2,000 tons of oil are required to maintain insurance or other financial security. The convention also established an international fund for compensation for oil pollution damage, financed by contributions from parties who receive certain amounts of oil after sea transport. The CLC has been updated and amended several times since its adoption to increase the amounts of compensation available, to widen the scope of damage for which compensation can be claimed, and to cover more types of vessels.