RECALLING Article 15(j) of the Convention on the International
Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Assembly in
relation to guidelines concerning the prevention and control of marine
pollution from ships,
RECALLING ALSO resolution A.625(15) concerning the arrangements
for the entry and clearance of marine pollution response resources
during emergency situations,
RECALLING FURTHER resolution A.869(20) concerning the facilitation
of response to an oil pollution incident;
BEING AWARE that:
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(a) the International Convention on Oil Pollution
Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC Convention), 1990, in
particular Article 7; and
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(b) the Protocol on Preparedness, Response and
Co-operation to Pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances
(OPRC-HNS Protocol), 2000, in particular Article 5,
stipulate, inter alia, that each Party to the OPRC
Convention and each Party to the OPRC-HNS Protocol shall take the
necessary legal or administrative measures to facilitate: the arrival
and utilization in and departure from its territory of ships, aircraft
and other modes of transport engaged in responding to a pollution
incident or transporting personnel, cargoes, materials and equipment
required to deal with such an incident; and the expeditious movement
into, through, and out of its territory of such personnel, cargoes,
materials and equipment,
BEING AWARE ALSO that the Annex to the OPRC Convention and
the Annex to the OPRC-HNS Protocol make provision for the reimbursement
of costs of assistance,
RECOGNIZING that experience in responding to a major pollution
incident requiring resources outside a country has clearly demonstrated
the critical importance of administrative procedures to facilitate
rapid provision of assistance and deployment of human resources and
equipment,
HAVING CONSIDERED the decisions and recommendations made
by the Marine Environment Protection Committee at its fifty-second
session:
1 ADOPTS the Guidelines for Facilitation of Response
to a Pollution Incident set out in the annex to the present resolution;
2 URGES Parties to the OPRC Convention and Parties
to the OPRC-HNS Protocol to implement the Guidelines;
3 URGES ALSO all Member Governments to implement
the Guidelines;
4 REQUESTS the Marine Environment Protection Committee
to keep the Guidelines under review taking into account experience
gained in their use;
5 REVOKES resolution A.869(20).