Programme

The programme will be updated, so please come back to check the programme accordingly.
Programme download is available from here.

MONDAY 12 MAY 2025

09:00-17:00 EXCO meeting (closed)
Venue: Lapis Room 1

TUESDAY 13 MAY 2025

12:00-17:00 Registration
Venue: Hotel Lobby, The Main Banquet floor
Registration desk is located near Tsubaki Room on May 13.
10:00-17:00 IWGs and SCs Meetings
Time IWG, SC, ISC Location Open/Closed
10:00-17:00 Collisions Convention
Chair: John O'Connor		 TMI Associates Closed
11:00-13:00 Cybersecurity
Chair: Sebastien Lootgieter		 Japan Maritime Center *3 Open
15:00-17:00 Fair Treatment of Seafarers
Chair: Valeria Eboli		 Anderson Mori & Tomotsune *1 Open
15:00-17:00 Promoting Ratification/Implementation of Maritime Conventions Japan Maritime Center *3
8:00-9:00 Judicial Sales
Chair: Ann Fenech, Henry Hai Li		 Tsubaki Room, New Otani Closed
10:00-17:00 Lex Maritima
Chair: Eric Van Hooydonk		 Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu *4 Closed
10:00-11:30 Marine Insurance
Chair: Joseph Grasso		 Anderson Mori & Tomotsune *1 Open
9:00-11:00 MASS
Chair: Tom Birch Reynardson		 Japan Maritime Center *3 Closed
10:00-17:00 MORU
Chair: Alexander Severance		 Hitotsubashi University
(Chiyoda Campus) *2		 Open
11:00-16:00 Polar Shipping
Chair: Aldo Chircop		 Tsubaki Room, New Otani Closed
10:00-11:00 Publications and Social Media
Chair: Massimiliano Musi		 Tsubaki Room, New Otani Closed
10:00-17:00 Ratification of Rotterdam Rules
Chair: Stuart Hetherington		 Nishimura & Asahi *5 Open
13:00-15:00 Unified Interpretation
Chair: John Markianos-Daniolos, Dieter Schwampe		 Japan Maritime Center *3 Closed
13:00-15:00 Wrongfull Arrest
Chair: Aleka Sheppard (not in person)		 Anderson Mori & Tomotsune *1 Open
  1. Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (Otemachi Park Building, 1-1-1 Otemachi Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8136, Japan (Reception: 20th Floor))
    https://www.amt-law.com/en/locations/
  2. Hitotsubashi University (Chiyoda Campus) (Gakujyutsu Sougou Center, 2-1-2 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8439, Japan)
    https://www.hit-u.ac.jp/eng/about/direction/ICS.html
  3. Japan Maritime Center (Kaiji Center Bldg., 4-5 Koji-machi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan)
    https://www.jpmac.or.jp/en/about/access.php
  4. Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (JP Tower, 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-7036, Japan (reception 36th floor))
    https://www.noandt.com/en/locations/tokyo/
  5. Nishimura & Asahi (Otemon Tower, 1-1-2 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8124, Japan)
    https://www.nishimura.com/en/about-us/access
  6. TMI Associates (Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 23rd Floor, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6123, Japan)
    https://www.tmi.gr.jp/about/bases/tokyo-office.html
19:00-21:00 Welcome Reception
Venue: Ho Room
Dress code: Business attire or smart casual
21:00- yCMI Event
Venue: Torabako (3 Chome-7-9 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan)
*Details on fees to be circulated shortly.

WEDNESDAY 14 MAY 2025

08:00-11:00 Registration
Venue: Hotel Lobby, The Main Banquet floor
*Registration desk is located near Fuyo Room on May 14.
09:00-09:45 Opening of the Conference
Venue: Fuyo Room (East and Central)
Welcome Address:
Ann Fenech (CMI, President)
Tomotaka Fujita (JMLA, President)
Arsenio Dominguez (Secretary General, IMO)
Hiromasa Nakano (Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
09:45-10:30 Berlingieri Lecture
Venue: Fuyo Room (East and Central)
Speaker: José Angelo Estrella Faria (recently retired, Principal Legal Officer and Head, Legislative Branch/ International Trade Law Division, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations)
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break
Venue: Foyer of the Fuyo Room
11:00-12:30 CONFERENCE PLENARY SESSION
Recent Technology and Experience for Future Maritime Transportation
Venue: Fuyo Room (East and Central)
Moderator: Shinichiro Otsubo (Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute)
Speakers:
Shin Imai (Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
Tomoyuki Koyama (Japan Marine Science INC.)
Hideyuki Ando (MTI Co., Ltd.)
Etsuro Shimizu (Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology)
Tom Birch Reynardson (Birch Reynardson & Co)
12:30-14:00 Lunch
Venue: Fuyo Room West and Foyer
14:00-15:30 PARALLEL 1 (Fuyo Room East)
Decarbonization
Moderator: Haris Zografakis
Speakers:
Jolien Kruit
Neil Henderson
Helen Barden
Alexandra Couvadelli
Lynn Loo
Masahiko Azegami
Masahiro Takahashi
Toru Hikima		 PARALLEL 2 (Fuyo Room Central)
Lex Maritima
Chair: Eric Van Hooydonk
Rapporteur: Jesus Casas
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
Venue: Foyer of the Fuyo Room
16:00-17:30 PARALLEL 1 (Fuyo Room East)
Counteracting Hostility and Fraudulent Activity in a Challenging Global Security Situation
Moderator: Richard Neylon
Speakers:

Introduction to Working Group and current issues

  • Richard Neylon

Blurred Lines of Sovereignty and Self-help in (West African) Maritime Security Enforcement

  • Emeka Akabogun

The challenges and risks posed by the Dark Fleet and fraudulent maritime activities

  • Thomas Starr
 PARALLEL 2 (Fuyo Room Central)
Lex Maritima
Chair: Eric Van Hooydonk
Rapporteur: Jesus Casas

THURSDAY 15 MAY 2025

07:30-08:30 MNMLAs Presidents’ Breakfast
Venue: Lapis Room 1
09:00-10:30 PARALLEL 1 (Fuyo Room East)
Asian-Pacific insight: the view from presidents of NMLAs
Moderator: Lawrence Teh
Speakers:

Japanese Maritime Law Association

  • Akiyoshi Ikeyama

Singapore Maritime Law Association

  • Leong Kah Wah

Australia and New Zealand Maritime Law Association

  • Hamish Fletcher
 PARALLEL 2 (Fuyo Room Central)
Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS)
Moderator: Tom Birch Reynardson
Speakers:

Legal Issues

  • Gen Goto

Arising from the Use of Remote Operation Centre

  • Henrik Ringbom

Report on the CMI Survey in Relation to the Operation of Remote Operation Centre

  • Edmund Greiner
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break
Venue: Foyer of the Fuyo Room
11:00-12:30 PARALLEL 1 (Fuyo Room East)
Legal Issues facing the cruise industry
Moderator: Fred Kenney
Speakers:

Current State of the cruise industry

  • Fred Kenney

Difference in Law: Cruise and General Shipping

  • Fumiko Masuda

Passenger Claims / Athens Convention

  • Grady Hurley

Crew Claims and the MLC

  • Iwam Jaeger

The License to Operate

  • Jonathan Benner
 PARALLEL 2 (Fuyo Room Central)
Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS)
Moderator: Tom Birch Reynardson
Speakers:

The EU AI Act - A Gamechanger for MASS?

  • TBA

Consideration of Liability Issues Based on the Draft MASS Non-mandatory Code

  • Kengo Minami

MASS and Collisions - Report on the Work of the Joint Sub-committee

  • Luci Carey
  • Frank Stevens
12:30-14:00 Lunch
Venue: Fuyo Room West and Foyer
14:00-15:30 PARALLEL 1 (Fuyo Room East)
Promotion of Rotterdam Rules and the Beijing Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sale of Ships
Moderator: Ann Fenech, Stuart Hetherington
Speakers:

European Commission

  • Angele Sears- Debono

Panama

  • Joaquín De Obarrio

Italy

  • Lorenzo Schiano di Pepe

Japan

  • Tomotaka Fujita

Ratification processes

  • José Angelo Estrella Faria
 PARALLEL 2 (Fuyo Room Central)
Collision Convention
Moderator: John O’Connor
Speakers: TBC
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
Venue: Foyer of the Fuyo Room
16:00-17:30 PARALLEL 1 (Fuyo Room East)
Polar Shipping
Moderator: Aldo Chircop
Speakers:

Arctic Shipping and Indigenous Rights: Challenges and Opportunities

  • Luce Bourbeau

The Rights and Obligations of Coastal States to Provide and Maintain Navigational Aids and Services in Arctic Waters

  • Phillip Buhler

Ship-sourced Pollution in Antarctic Waters: Liability and Compensation

  • David Baker
 PARALLEL 2 (Fuyo Room Central)
Future of the IOPC and the HNS Funds
Moderator: Tomotaka Fujita
Speakers:

The Funds Secretariat's View

  • Gaute Sivertsen

Shipowner's View

  • Leyla Pearson

Insurer's View

  • Nick Shaw

Cargo Interest's view

  • Koshi Okuda

The HNS Fund ready for operation?

  • Gillian Grant

FRIDAY 16 MAY 2025

09:00-10:30 PARALLEL 1 (Fuyo Room East)
Mobile Offshore Renewable Units (MORU)
Moderator: Alexander Severance
Speakers: TBC		 PARALLEL 2 (Fuyo Room Central)
Academics Session
Moderator: Frank Stevens
Speakers:

Phantom ships registered in phantom registries or not so? Can due diligence in the registration process tackle the vexing problems?

  • George Theocharidis

Carriage of live animals by sea: the European perspective

  • Frank Smeele

The implication of the MLETR to electronic bills of lading

  • Atsushi Koide
10:30-11:30 Break to change for Excursion
11:30-17:30 Excursion (including lunch on the boat)
Buses leave in front of the Hotel New Otani Tokyo

Followed by Dinner Reception. Participants will not return to the hotel prior to Dinner Reception.
18:00-22:00 Dinner Reception
Venue: XEX Atago Green Hills
Dress Code: Casual

SATURDAY 17 MAY 2025

09:00-10:30 CONFERENCE PLENARY SESSION
Adoption of Resolution on Lex Maritima
Venue: Fuyo Room (East and Central)
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break
Venue: Foyer of the Fuyo Room
11:00-12:30 yCMI
Moderator: Yiannis G. Timagenis
Venue: Fuyo Room (East and Central)
Speakers:

The Concept and Legal History of Electronic Bills of Lading

  • Harald Søndergaard

Redefining possession, ensuring reliability and interoperability in electronic bills

  • Jamie Albors

From Paper to Digital: The Legal Landscape of Electronic Bills of Lading in Germany

  • Svenja Breckwoldt

Electronic Bills of Lading Legislation in Japan

  • Kazuya Yamashita

Electronic Bills of Lading - China’s Creative Approach and Efforts to Align with England and Singapore

  • Evangeline Quek

Electronic Bills of Lading in South America: Challenges, Developments, and the Brazilian Perspective

  • Frederico Mendes Vianna Fragelli Cardoso
12:30-13:30 Lunch
Venue: Fuyo Room West and Foyer
13:30-16:30 CMI General Assembly
Venue: Fuyo Room (East and Central)
16:30-17:30 Executive Council Meeting 2
Venue: Lapis Room 1
18:30-21:30 Cocktail Drinks followed by Gala Dinner
Venue: Fuyo Room (East, Central and West)
Dress code: Business attire or traditional dress
21:30-23:30 After Party
Venue: Edo Room