Headquarters of HNS Fund to be co-located with IOPC Funds Secretariat

Posted: 22/05/2026

At their May 2026 sessions, the governing bodies of the IOPC Funds approved the co-location of the headquarters of the yet-to-be-established HNS Fund with the IOPC Funds’ Secretariat in London. They also decided that the Director of the HNS Fund shall, ex officio, be the person holding the post of Director of the 1992 Fund, and authorised the Director of the 1992 Fund to take any action necessary to implement these decisions and related arrangements in support of the smooth and timely entry into force of the 2010 HNS Convention.

On the margins of  the 113th session of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Legal Committee in April 2026, the governments of Belgium, Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Sweden deposited instruments of ratification, acceptance or accession to the 2010 HNS Protocol with the IMO Secretary General, bringing the number of Contracting States to 12 and fulfilling a key requirement for the Protocol’s entry into force.

In order to prepare appropriately for the entry into force of the 2010 HNS Convention and to ensure that the HNS Fund is able to operate effectively from the outset, the 12 Contracting States subsequently agreed that the location of the HNS Fund headquarters should be determined in principle in advance of the first meeting of the HNS Fund Assembly. The States advised that their preference was for the HNS Fund to be co-located with the IOPC Funds in London.

Given the impact of these recommendations by the Contracting States on the 1992 Fund, the Director sought the approval of the governing bodies and their mandate to explore the development of an administrative services agreement between the 1992 Fund and the HNS Fund.

Director Sivertsen thanked the governing bodies for their decisions and reaffirmed the Secretariat’s readiness to undertake the necessary preparations in support of the entry into force of the Protocol and the convening of the first session of the HNS Fund Assembly.

The HNS Convention is expected to enter into force in late 2027.