Adopted by the General Assembly on 11 December 2008, the Convention establishes a uniform and modern legal regime governing the rights and obligations of shippers, carriers and consignees under a contract for door-to-door carriage that includes an international sea leg. The Convention builds upon, and provides a modern alternative to, earlier conventions relating to the international carriage of goods by sea, in particular, the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading (Brussels, 25 August 1924) ("the Hague Rules"), and its Protocols ("the Hague-Visby Rules"), and the United Nations Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea (Hamburg, 31 March 1978) ("the Hamburg Rules").
The Rotterdam Rules provide a legal framework that takes into account the many technological and commercial developments that have occurred in maritime transport since the adoption of those earlier conventions, including the growth of containerization, the desire for door-to-door carriage under a single contract, and the development of electronic transport documents. The Convention provides shippers and carriers with a binding and balanced universal regime to support the operation of maritime contracts of carriage that may involve other modes of transport.
Papers presented at the Colloquium of the Rotterdam Rules, held on 21 September 2009
Photographs of the sixteen original signatory States of the Rotterdam Rules
More photographs from the Rotterdam Signing Ceremony and related events
A Comparative Analysis of the Hague-Visby, Hamburg and Rotterdam Rules
Endorsement by Comité Maritime International
Endorsement by National Industrial Transportation League
ICC Statement on Rotterdam Rules
US Shippers and Carriers Welcome ICC Statement on Rotterdam Rules
ICS Position Paper in support of Rotterdam Rules -- Press Release
UNCITRAL response to the International Road Transport Union (IRU) - 2009 and 2006
Position paper of IRU reiterating 2006 concerns
Position Paper of FIATA Working Group on Sea Transport
View of the European Shippers' Council on Rotterdam Rules
Response of the US Shippers to the European view -- Press Release
ABA endorses the Rotterdam Rules
Editor's Letter "Rotterdam Rules", Journal of Commerce, 6 July 2009 / Reprinted with permission of The Journal of Commerce
Audio Podcast on Rotterdam Rules [in English] / by Coracle Online [12/06/2009]
Audio Podcast on Rotterdam Rule. Coracle meet Kate Lannan [in English] / by Coracle Online [16/10/2009]
Study by Prof. Ricardo Sandoval (Chile) on the Rotterdam Rules / Published in "Assessment of 30 years of maritime law and 20 years of the Hamburg Rules". Workshop held in Valparaiso, Chili on 7 November 2008. Publilibro, Santiago, 2008.
Judge in NZ Court of Appeal case takes note of Rotterdam Rules ([2009] NZCA 135, para. 64)