BEING Parties to the Protocol of 1978 relating to the International
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973,
RECOGNIZING the need to prevent and control air pollution
from ships,
RECALLING Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment
and Development which calls for the application of a precautionary
approach,
CONSIDERING that this objective could best be achieved by
the conclusion of a Protocol of 1997 to amend the International Convention
for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the
Protocol of 1978 relating thereto,