RECALLING Article 38(a) of the Convention on the International
Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Marine Environment
Protection Committee conferred upon it by the international conventions
for the prevention and control of marine pollution,
RECALLING ALSO that the International Conference on Ballast
Water Management for Ships held in February 2004 adopted the International
Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water
and Sediments, 2004 (the Ballast Water Management
Convention) together with four Conference resolutions,
NOTING that Regulation A-2 of
the Ballast Water Management Convention requires that discharge of
ballast water shall only be conducted through Ballast Water Management
in accordance with the provisions of the Annex to the Convention,
NOTING FURTHER that Regulation
A-5 of the Annex to the Ballast Water Management Convention
provides that equivalent compliance with its provisions for pleasure
craft used solely for recreation or competition or craft used primarily
for search and rescue, less than 50 metres in length overall, and
with a maximum Ballast Water capacity of 8 cubic metres, shall be
determined by the Administration taking into account Guidelines developed
by the Organization,
NOTING ALSO that resolution 1 adopted by the International
Conference on Ballast Water Management for Ships invites the Organization
to develop these Guidelines as a matter of urgency,
HAVING CONSIDERED the draft Guidelines for ballast water
management equivalent compliance developed by the Ballast Water Working
Group and the recommendation made by the Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids
and Gases at its ninth session,
1. ADOPTS the Guidelines for ballast water management
equivalent compliance, as set out in the annex to this resolution;
2. INVITES Governments to apply the Guidelines
as soon as possible, or when the Convention becomes applicable to
them; and
3. AGREES to keep the Guidelines under review.