11 May 2017

Unmanned ships trigger questions about how the maritime legal framework should address this development. This technology is becoming increasingly relevant across the maritime industry and to marine insurers in particular. Ideally, a joint set of rules and regulations should be developed, preferably in the framework of the IMO where in February a paper was submitted by nine flag states to propose a regulatory scoping exercise. The Comité Maritime International (CMI) has also recently established a Working Group on “Maritime law for unmanned craft” to consider how international conventions and regulations can be adapted to provide for the operation of unmanned vessels on the high seas. Although the discussions are only about to start it is conceivable already that unmanned ships will change the landscape of maritime law.

In this webinar, Dr Maximilian Guth, Associate Partner at Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein, outlines various aspects of the recent developments in the view of the existing international conventions and the existing liability regimes from a marine insurance perspective taking into account existing insurance products for autonomous underwater vehicles.

The slides are available upon request to IUMI members. Please contact Dr Maximilian Guth (m.guth@asd-law.com).