Former Director of International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) David Attard has received the International Maritime Prize for 2021, recognising his contribution to the organisation's work.

He was presented with the award at the IMO Awards Ceremony, which was held in London on 2nd November and streamed online. This was the first edition of the ceremony since the COVID-19 pandemic that had people attending together in person.

The prize has been presented annually since 1981 to the individual or organisation judged to have made a significant contribution to the work and objectives of IMO. The event also honoured exceptional bravery at sea.

Upon receiving the award, Prof Attard reflected on the long journey since the idea for an international maritime law institute was formulated in the 1980s.

“I remain amazed how our ideas were translated into the creation of a programme of studies which brought about a dramatic change to my life and the lives of hundreds of government officials worldwide,” he explained.

“Indeed, I wish to record that one of the greatest satisfactions I got in my years as Director was to see the dramatic change in students form the day they arrived, to their graduation – when they are fully empowered to serve their countries’ interests and the rule of international maritime law. May IMLI continue with its work in the interests of IMO and its member states. Long live IMLI,” Prof Attard added.

He expressed his appreciation to all those who had supported him in his capacity as IMLI Director, adding that he is “grateful to the continuous generous funding which IMLI has received from governments, particularly the Government of Malta, NGOs, and the industry”. Prof Attard also thanked IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim, who “holds the record of the Secretary-General who has most visited IMLI throughout his years of office”, before adding that Mr Lim has been “responsible for IMLI’s greater involvement in IMO’s work”.

Prof Attard concluded by wishing his successor, Norman Martinez, well for the future with him already having “years of experience in the IMLI way of life”.

Presenting him with the International Maritime Prize silver dolphin award, Mr Lim congratulated Prof Attard, saying that his “long stint at IMLI’s helm has been instrumental in turning IMLI into the worldwide known centre of academic excellence that it is today”. He added that his time there “has ensured that its work has been recognised by many international bodies including not only IMO’s Assembly, Council, and Technical Cooperation Committee, but also by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly itself”.

“Many delegates present today are here because of their studies at IMLI,” Mr Lim said, before adding that Prof Attard’s “impact on the maritime world and on IMO’s work has been outstanding”.

Prof Attard has had a distinguished career at IMLI since he proposed its creation 35 years ago, leading to it being established in Malta in 1988. He became a Member of IMLI’s Governing Board in 1989 and was appointed Director of the institute in 1992.

A number of international bodies, including the IMO Assembly, Council Technical Cooperation Committee, and the United Nations General Assembly, have all recognised the work of the institute under Prof Attard, which has supported IMO’s goals of promoting “safe, secure, environmentally sound, efficient and sustainable shipping through cooperation”. Prof Attard also assisted in building a close relationship between IMLI and the World Maritime University, the other global maritime training institution set up by IMO.

Prof Attard was the first Chair of the Legal Committee of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and spearheaded the 1988 Maltese UN initiative, which led to the recognition of climate change as a major threat to the prosperity and wellbeing of humankind.

Since October 2020, Prof Attard has served as President of the Chamber for Marine Environment Disputes. He has also been a judge for the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea since 2011.