The Comité Maritime International (CMI) is the world’s oldest international organisation devoted to the unification and development of maritime law. Founded in 1897 in Antwerp, Belgium, the CMI works to promote uniform legal frameworks governing commercial shipping, cargo handling, marine insurance, salvage, collisions, and more.
Unlike political institutions, CMI is a non-governmental, non-profit association of national maritime law associations. Its focus is not enforcement or regulation – but rather legal clarity across borders. In a world where ships sail under different flags and contracts involve multiple jurisdictions, the CMI aims to reduce conflict, confusion, and legal gaps.
The roots of CMI lie in the 19th-century realisation that national maritime laws were too fragmented to serve a rapidly globalising industry. Under the vision of Louis Franck, the CMI was created to:
• Draft model laws and conventions for adoption by states
• Encourage the consistent application of maritime legal principles
• Organise international conferences for legal consensus
• Collaborate with public and private maritime stakeholders
By fostering legal dialogue between countries, the CMI laid the groundwork for a harmonised legal ocean – where shipowners, insurers, courts, and ports could navigate with common expectations.
The CMI has shaped several legal instruments still central to maritime trade today:
• The Hague Rules (1924): Standards for bills of lading and carrier liability
• The York-Antwerp Rules (1890s, revised multiple times): Addressing general average – how losses are shared when cargo is sacrificed to save a ship
• Collision and salvage conventions: Clarifying liability and rescue rules
• Unification of maritime liens and mortgages
• Draft input for UNCITRAL conventions and the work of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The CMI works closely with the IMO, but focuses on private law, complementing the IMO’s public policy mission. While the IMO produces binding conventions, the CMI often drafts principles or models, which are then adopted by national laws or serve as the basis for international treaties.
The CMI is composed of National Maritime Law Associations from around the world – including lawyers, academics, insurers, shipowners, and judges. It also includes consultative members (like international bodies and professional associations) and observer delegations.
It convenes international conferences and working groups to develop consensus on topics such as:
• Judicial sale of ships
• Arctic and polar navigation law
• Electronic bills of lading
• Maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS)
Through these forums, the CMI builds bridges between legal systems and keeps pace with evolving industry challenges.
In an era of digitalisation, decarbonisation, and autonomy, maritime law faces new grey zones. The CMI continues to update and advise on issues such as:
• Paperless trade and blockchain contracts
• Legal frameworks for MASS and AI navigation
• Climate-related claims in marine insurance
Its work helps the maritime sector avoid litigation, improve contract clarity, and maintain legal certainty across jurisdictions.
The CMI may not command headlines, but it ensures that maritime actors – from shippers in Singapore to arbitrators in London – are speaking a common legal language. Without it, global maritime commerce would be a patchwork of conflicting laws and unpredictable rulings.
By promoting uniformity and dialogue, the CMI quietly underpins the smooth functioning of international trade by sea.
How can legal harmonisation through organisations like the CMI support innovation and reduce risk in today’s rapidly evolving maritime industry?
