Students head to London to learn about international marine organisations

Twelve LLM students visited the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the OSPAR Commission

At the beginning of May, twelve of our LLM students took a trip to London to discover more about the work of two international maritime organisations based in the city.

The students started the day by visiting the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), a UN specialised agency responsible for adopting rules and standards relating to the safety, security and environmental impact of international shipping. The students received a tour of the IMO headquarters, including the meeting hall and library, followed by a lecture from a member of IMO staff.

The students then went to meet the Executive Director of the OSPAR Commission, an intergovernmental organization working to protect the marine environment and biological diversity of the North-East Atlantic. The focus of the session was on OSPAR’s recent work on the protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and its initiatives to collaborate with other intergovernmental organisations working in a similar area.

The visits offered the students an insight into the inner workings of both institutions, increasing their knowledge beyond what they had learnt in the classroom. The trip was led by Dr James Harrison, who teaches courses on the International Law of the Sea on the LLM in International Law and the LLM in Global Environment and Climate Change Law.