Dr. Rosalie Balkin named winner of IMO’s International Maritime Prize

Dr. Rosalie Balkin

The IMO Council announced today that Dr. Rosalie Balkin has been named the recipient of the International Maritime Prize for 2024. The award recognizes her outstanding contributions to international maritime law over a career spanning more than 50 years.

Dr. Balkin is the Secretary-General of the Comité Maritime International (CMI) – the world’s oldest organization focused on unifying international maritime law, founded in 1897.

Nominated by the Government of Australia, Dr. Balkin, who was appointed to her present position in 2017 is the first woman to hold this position in the CMI’s 128-year history.

A pioneering figure in the field, she was also the first woman appointed Director of Legal Affairs and External Relations Division at IMO (1998-2013) and later the first female Assistant Secretary-General (2011-2013).

The Australian Government, in its nomination, praised her “outstanding commitment, achievements and contributions to the maritime community,” calling her a deserving recipient of this prestigious honour.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said: “Dr. Balkin’s distinguished career embodies the dedication, mastery and leadership needed to uphold a robust global maritime legal framework that ensures safety, security and sustainability for this vital industry. Her pioneering contributions have paved the way for greater inclusion and diversity within the maritime community.”

During her tenure at IMO, Dr. Balkin oversaw several landmark diplomatic conferences that led to the adoption of new international conventions on maritime maritime safety, pollution liability, wreck removal, and passenger protection. Notable conventions adopted under her leadership include:

• 2001 International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage;
• 2002 Athens Convention on the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage at Sea;
• 2003 Supplementary Fund Protocol which established the International Oil Pollution Compensation Supplementary Fund;
• 2005 Protocol to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation;
• 2005 Protocol to the Protocol of 1988 for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf;
• 2007 Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks; and
• 2010 International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea.

In addition, Dr. Balkin has made extensive contributions to legal and academic institutions worldwide as a widely published author and lecturer. She served twice on the Board of Governors of the World Maritime University (WMU) and currently serves as Ethics Officer to the WMU President, offering advice on ethical matters and settlement of disputes. As legal advisor to the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Funds since 2014, she was instrumental in preparing the resolutions for dissolving the 1971 IOPC Fund, which was replaced by the 1992 Fund, strengthening the global compensation regime.

She is a founding member of the Advisory Group of Seafarers’ Rights International, which advocates for fair treatment and legal protection of seafarers.

In Australia, Dr. Balkin has served in senior roles across the public service, including as Primary Legal Advisor to the Commonwealth Ombudsman and later as Assistant Secretary in the Attorney-General’s Department’s Office of International Law. During this time, she led the Australian delegation to the IMO Legal Committee meetings and was elected its Vice Chair in 1993.

From 2018 to 2021, she served on the Bboard of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), emphasizing her long-standing commitment to the maritime sector. In 2018, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, for her distinguished service to maritime law, global shipping standards, and legal education.

Dr. Balkin will receive the award at a ceremony in November 2025.