HNS Convention: International convention on liability and compensation for damage in connection with the carriage of hazardous and noxious substances by sea

The HNS Convention aims to ensure that persons who suffer damage from hazardous and noxious substances originating from transport vessels have access to adequate compensation. The HNS Convention applies the "polluter pays" principle, placing liability with the polluting industriesr. The original HNS Convention was agreed in 1996, replaced by an updated HNS Convention that was adopted in 2010. As of 2026, not enough states have ratified the HNS Convention for it to enter into force.