The Assembly,
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Assembly - IMO Resolution A.962(23) – IMO Guidelines on Ship Recycling – (Adopted on 5 December 2003)Amended by Resolution A.980(24) - 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 regulations and guidelines concerning maritime safety, the prevention and control of marine pollution from ships and other matters concerning the effect of shipping on the marine environment,

 NOTING the growing concerns about environmental safety, health and welfare matters in the ship recycling industry, and the need to reduce the environmental, occupational health and safety risks related to ship recycling and, at the same time, securing the smooth withdrawal of ships that have reached the end of their operating lives,

 NOTING ALSO the roles of the International Labour Organization, the Basel Convention and other stakeholders in ship recycling,

 HAVING CONSIDERED the Technical Guidelines for the Environmentally Sound Management of the Full and Partial Dismantling of Ships, adopted by the Sixth Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Basel Convention, and the Guidelines on Safety and Health in Shipbreaking, developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO),

 HAVING CONSIDERED ALSO the Code of Practice on Ship Recycling developed by the shipping industry to establish a body of best practice for shipping companies to adopt in respect of ships destined for recycling,

 RECOGNIZING that, in order to contribute towards improvements in ship recycling, it is necessary to consider the ship throughout its life cycle,

 RECOGNIZING ALSO that the use of hazardous materials should be minimized in the design, construction and maintenance of ships, without compromising their safety and operational efficiency, and that there is a need to prepare ships for recycling in such a manner as to reduce environmental and safety risks and health and welfare concerns as far as practicable,

 HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendation made by the Marine Environment Protection Committee at its forty-ninth session,

  1. ADOPTS the IMO Guidelines on Ship Recycling set out in the annex to the present resolution;

  2. INVITES Governments to take urgent action to apply the annexed Guidelines, including the dissemination thereof to the shipping and ship recycling industries, and to report to the Marine Environment Protection Committee on any experience gained in their implementation;

  3. REQUESTS the Marine Environment Protection Committee to keep this matter under review with a view to further developing the Guidelines in the future;

  4. REQUESTS FURTHER that the Marine Environment Protection Committee consider the most appropriate means to promote the implementation of the Guidelines, including a review of the progress made in achieving their intended purpose;

  5. URGES the Marine Environment Protection Committee to continue co-operating with the International Labour Organization and the appropriate bodies of the Basel Convention in this field and to encourage the involvement of other stakeholders.


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