On 20 May 2026, the Argentine Congress approved Law No. 27,812, ratifying the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks (2007); the law was published on 12 June 2026.
Argentina’s ratification comes as the country expands its offshore oil and gas infrastructure (export terminals, monobuoys, submarine pipelines and LNG projects) all of which the Convention expressly protects, alongside cables and other seabed installations. Argentina joins a group of States Parties that now exceeds 70.
The Convention will not take effect for Argentina immediately: under Article 18(2), it enters into force three months after Argentina deposits its instrument of ratification with the IMO Secretary-General, a step distinct from the domestic publication and one whose date has not yet been published. Once in force, Article 12(12) allows Argentina to require any ship of 300 gross tonnage and above to carry a valid Wreck Removal Convention Certificate when entering or leaving one of its ports.
For NNPC members, this is not a new compliance step. The main change to expect is that Argentine port authorities may, from that date, start checking for the certificate as a condition of entry. Any questions on certificate status can be directed to NNPC’s Underwriting Team at underwriting@nnpc-marine.com.
