The Ratification of Maritime Conventions
Chapter I.7.180
(MARPOL PROT. 1997) 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
Note: The present text incorporates the original text as modified by the following amendments:
| Date of entry | |
|---|---|
| into force | |
| —2005 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.132(53) | 22.11.2006 |
| —2008 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.176(58) | 01.07.2010 |
| —2010 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.190(60) | 01.08.2011 |
| —2010 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.194(61) | 01.02.2012 |
| —2011 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.202(62) | 01.01.2013 |
| —2011 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.203(62) | 01.01.2013 |
| —2012 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.217(63) | 01.08.2013 |
| —2014 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.251(66) | 01.09.2015 |
| —2014 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.258(67) | 01.03.2016 |
| —2016 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.271(69) | 01.09.2017 |
| —2016 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.278(70) | 01.03.2018 |
| —2017 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.286(71) | 01.01.2019 |
| —2018 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.301(72) | 01.09.2019 |
| —2018 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.305(73) | 01.03.2020 |
| —2019 (Annex VI) amendments adopted by res. MEPC.316(74) | 01.10.2020 |
ADOPTED: Done at London on 26 September 1997
REFERENCE: MARPOL Protocol 1997
ENTERED INTO FORCE: 19 May 2005
DEPOSITARY: IMO London
SECRETARY: IMO London
IMPLEMENTATION
SIGNATURE, RATIFICATION, ACCEPTANCE, APPROVAL AND ACCESSION
Article V
1. The present Protocol shall be open for signature at the Headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (hereinafter referred to as the “Organization”) from 1 January 1998 until 31 December 1998 and shall thereafter remain open for accession. Only Contracting States to the Protocol of 1978 relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as the “1978 Protocol”) may become Parties to the present Protocol by:
- (a) signature without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval; or
- (b) signature, subject to ratification, acceptance or approval, followed by ratification, acceptance or approval; or
- (c) accession.
2. Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument to that effect with the Secretary-General of the Organization (hereinafter referred to as the “Secretary-General”).
ENTRY INTO FORCE
Article VI
The present Protocol shall enter into force twelve months after the date on which not less than fifteen States, the combined merchant fleets of which constitute not less than 50 per cent of the gross tonnage of the world’s merchant shipping, have become Parties to it in accordance with article 5 of the present Protocol.
Any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession deposited after the date on which the present Protocol enters into force shall take effect three months after the date of deposit.
After the date on which an amendment to the present Protocol is deemed to have been accepted in accordance with article 16 of the Convention, any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession deposited shall apply to the present Protocol as amended.
DENUNCIATION
Article VII
The present Protocol may be denounced by any Party to the present Protocol at any time after the expiry of five years from the date on which the Protocol enters into force for that Party.
Denunciation shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of denunciation with the Secretary-General.
A denunciation shall take effect twelve months after receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General or after the expiry of any other longer period which may be indicated in the notification.
A denunciation of the 1978 Protocol in accordance with article VII thereof shall be deemed to include a denunciation of the present Protocol in accordance with this article. Such denunciation shall take effect on the date on which denunciation of the 1978 Protocol takes effect in accordance with article VII of that Protocol.
LANGUAGES
Article IX
The present Protocol is established in a single copy in the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish languages, each text being equally authentic.
AMENDMENTS
Article IV
In applying article 16 of the Convention to an amendment to Annex VI and its appendices, the reference to “a Party to the Convention” shall be deemed to mean the reference to a party bound by that Annex.