Important UN charter party under revision
Overview
Work on revising the UN voyage charter party WORLDFOOD continued with a two days meeting at the World Food Programme’s headquarters in Rome earlier this month.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is a UN humanitarian organization with a mandate to fight hunger globally. It is financed by donors, mainly governments, either in kind or with money. To achieve its goal, the WFP buys food and charters ships, or airplanes, to dispatch it to where it is needed. Transport by sea is the main method used, which makes this charter party a very important tool.
Generally, the WORLDFOOD charter party is a well-functioning contract that does not generate a lot of disputes. However, 18 years have passed since its last revision and so the document is in need of an update and modernisation.
Particular to this contract is the requirement of a very high degree of flexibility to change ports at short notice because of the often volatile areas in which they operate. Although WFP is not a trader (there is no buying or selling of the food during the voyage) it requires more flexibility than the average trader. Much focus during the revision is on the laytime provisions, which are being clarified and brought in line with current commercial practice.
Apart from legal and chartering representatives from WFP, the subcommittee includes experts from LD Bulk, Aug. Bolten Wm. Miller’s Nachfolger, Banchero Costa and Britannia P&I Club.
A first draft of the revised contract will be presented for review at the DC meeting in June this year. The target date for adoption is November 2017.
WORLDFOOD revision subcommittee
Feedback or a question about this information?
Posted:
20 February 2017
VPS Bunker Alerts
Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) publish regular Bunker Alerts based entirely on fuel samples and have kindly permitted BIMCO’s Members to access this information.
The Bunker Alerts are not intended to be an evaluation of overall bunker quality in the port or area concerned, but usually highlight a specific parameter within the fuel which has raised a quality issue.
Latest ice reports for members
Latest piracy reports
Latest industry releasable threats
Related publication
Ship Management Contracts
The handy guide contains explanatory notes to all of BIMCO’s current standard ship management contracts.
Related training
Commodity Trading & Chartering Masterclass Online
- Online, Online
- 03 February, 2025
Commodity Trading & Chartering Masterclass Online is a series of 10 online sessions delivered over 5 days. Each day will run for 2x75 minutes with a short break...
ELSEWHERE ON BIMCO
Contracts & Clauses
All of BIMCO's most widely used contracts and clauses as well as advice on managing charters and business partners.
Learn about your cargo
For general guidance and information on cargo-related queries.
BIMCO Publications
Want to buy or download a BIMCO publication? Use the link to get access to the ballast water management guide, the ship master’s security manual and many other publications.
About a new business partner
We can help members check new business partners. We also help to recover millions of USD (undisputed) funds every year.
