ABSTRACT
Globalisation has posed considerable threats to the marine environment as the increase in international trade has led to a concomitant growth in the amount of international shipping traversing the oceans and waterways of the world. An increase in shipping necessarily increases the amount of possible discharge into the oceans, as well as the risk of accidents whereby the cargo may spill, causing harm to the surrounding environment. While global standards have been established to reduce the likelihood of shipping accidents, as well as the general impact that shipping may have on the marine environment, there has also been a recognition that more localised responses may be required. Globalisation may seem to serve environmental justice best when allowances are made for specialised treatment, rather than a relentless progression to global homogeneity on shipping standards. At the outset, it should be acknowledged that shipping is vital to the global economy, as over 90 per cent of international trade is transported by sea. Many countries share an interest in this trade by sea: a vessel may be registered in one State, commence its journey in another State, traverse the waters and stop at the ports of many States, and ultimately conclude its journey in yet another State; the cargo and people on board may also come from a variety of countries. With such an international dimension, it is hardly surprising that there is a shared interest in seeking to improve the effi ciency of international shipping. The global interest in managing international shipping, and most particularly safety in shipping, is manifest in the creation and work of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The IMO is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN), and as such it has a broad membership (with over 160 Member States). The mission statement of the IMO is ‘safe, secure and effi cient shipping on clean oceans’. This statement recognises the importance of the marine environment while still seeking to ensure that international shipping operates with the most effective economic conditions. Globalisation may therefore seem to demand that global standards are most appropriate, and this course is often followed under the auspices of the IMO. However, and as will be discussed in this chapter, the IMO has also affi rmed that local approaches have a place in the midst of this global activity.
