The Draft Law on the Maritime and navigation code in Haiti, recently adopted in Council of Ministers, is the culmination of cooperation between Haiti and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which began in 1989. This work was revised in 2003 by a Special Commission set up by the Directorate-General of the Maritime and Navigation of Haiti (SEMANAH), with the technical assistance of an IMO Maritime Law Expert. Several revisions were subsequently carried out in order to adapt the text to national and international realities, the last one, in May 2015.

Enrolling in the Government's vision through the Ministry of Public Works, this Bill aims at fostering the development of the maritime transport sector and at the same time strengthening SEMANAH's intervention capacities so that it can contribute effectively to the State's efforts to face the challenges of the day.

This Draft Maritime and Navigation Code represents the indispensable tool to enable the public authorities to acquire a certain degree of control over the maritime sector and to lay down the conditions under which national and foreign operators must evolve, particularly in the field of maritime transport.

Its adoption by Parliament, its promulgation and publication by the Executive, will allow public and private actors to intervene safely in the field of maritime affairs and navigation in Haiti.

HL/ HaitiLibre