The Assembly,
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Assembly - IMO Resolution A.983(24) – Guidelines for Facilitation of Response to a Pollution Incident1 – (Adopted on 1 December 2005) - The Assembly,

The Assembly,

 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:

  • (a) the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC Convention), 1990, in particular Article 7; and

  • (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).


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