《鹿特丹规则》：过去与未来

Rotterdam Rules: the immediate past and future

2008年12月11日,联合国大会通过了《鹿特丹规则》,该规则待20个国家批准一年后方能生效。相较目前存在的调整国际海上货物运输关系的国际公约,《鹿特丹规则》的相关规定具有重大不同与创新,有望为全球海上货物运输关系提供统一并更为适应现代海上航运业发展的法律规范。虽然目前主要航运大国批准加入《鹿特丹规则》为数甚少,但由于美国的批准程序正在进行过程中,多数人对《鹿特丹规则》的生效抱有乐观态度。

The Rotterdam Rules was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 11 December 2008 and will officially come into effect one year after the twentieth state has completed the ratification process. In comparison with the existing con- ventions applicable to the international carriage of goods by sea, there are a number of significant changes and developments introduced in the convention which is hopeful to provide a unified global set of regulations for the carriage of goods by sea that reflect the current nature of the maritime shipping industry. Many major maritime nations have not signed or ratified the Rot- terdam Rules, however, since the United States is in the process of ratification of the Rules, it remains cautiously optimistic that the Rotterdam Rules will finally take effect.