The Assembly,

 The annex of this document is stored in Rulefinder as OSV Chemical Code

RECALLING Article 15(j) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Assembly in relation to regulations and guidelines regarding maritime safety and the prevention and control of marine pollution from ships,

RECALLING ALSO that regulation 11.2 of Annex II to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto, calls for guidelines to be developed by the Organization on the basis of which Administrations shall establish appropriate measures in respect of ships other than chemical tankers carrying noxious liquid substances in bulk identified in chapter 17 of the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk, in order to minimize the uncontrolled discharge into the sea of such substances,

RECALLING FURTHER that it adopted, by resolution A.673(16), Guidelines for the transport and handling of limited amounts of hazardous and noxious liquid substances in bulk on offshore support vessels (LHNS Guidelines),

RECOGNIZING the need to improve the provisions of the LHNS Guidelines in light of the evolution of the offshore industry and experience gained from implementing those Guidelines,

HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendations of the Maritime Safety Committee, at its ninety-eighth session, and of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, at its seventy-first session,

1 ADOPTS the Code for the Transport and Handling of Hazardous and Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk on Offshore Support Vessels (OSV Chemical Code), set out in the annex to the present resolution;

2 INVITES Governments to take action to implement the OSV Chemical Code from 1 July 2018;

3 AUTHORIZES the Maritime Safety Committee and the Marine Environment Protection Committee to keep the OSV Chemical Code under review and update it as may be necessary;

4 SUPERSEDES resolution A.673(16).