On 13th July, at the 127th
Session of the International Maritime Organisation Council in London, leading
international maritime law Prof. David J. Attard was awarded the International
Maritime Prize. The International Maritime Prize is awarded annually by the International
Maritime Organisation Council to the individual or organization judged to have
made the most significant contribution to the work and objectives of the International Maritime Organisation.
The International Maritime Prize consists of a
sculpture in the form of a dolphin and includes a financial award. The winner of the annual prize is also invited
to write a paper on a theme relating to the work of IMO. The paper is published
in IMO's quarterly magazine, IMO News.
Professor David J. Attard has dedicated over thirty-five
years to the service of the codification and progressive development of the law
of the sea. Since 1992, and until his retirement this year, Professor Attard has held the position of the
Director of the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI). Under his
expert directorship, over a 1000 government lawyers and officials hailing from
146 states have graduated in International Maritime Law Institute under the
guidance of Professor Attard who dedicated most of his academic life to
capacity building in international maritime law.
Minister for Foreign and European and Trade Dr.
Ian Borg congratulated Professor David
J. Attard on his merited award and his commitment to the International Maritime
Organisation’ s work. The awards is a great recognition of Malta’s efforts in
the IMO. As one of the world's largest maritime nations, it is important for Malta
to ensure that the IMO remains the global focal point for the regulation of
shipping in these crucial years for the shipping sector