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International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships of 
Aware of the growing problems of marine pollution, the IMCO 
Assembly, in October 1971, resolved to achieve by 1975, or the end of 
the decade at the latest, complete elimination of the willful and in- 
tentional pollution of the sea by oil and other noxious substances and 
the minimization of accidental spills. To this end, an International 
Conference on Marine Pollution was scheduled to convene in London 
in October 1973. Two years of preliminary work culminated when the 
Conference adopted the International Convention for the Prevention 
of Pollution from Ships on November 2, 1973. 
Compared to the Oil Pollution Convention as amended, the regula- 
tions prescribed in the 1973 Convention cut the maximum permissible 
quantity of oil which may be discharged by new oil tankers from 
1/15,000 to 1/30,000 of the cargo-carrying capacity. Refined products 
and other liquid noxious substances are now included and all oil-carry- 
ing ships will be required to operate under the “‘load on top” system. 
Tankers constructed after December 31, 1975, must have segregated 
ballast tanks. Sewage and garbage disposal from ships is also regulated. 
The flag state is also required to prosecute all violations of its vessels 
wherever they occur. 
Concurrently, the eighth IMCO Assembly meeting in November 
1973 adopted the United States proposal to form a Marine Environ- 
mental Protection Committee (MEPC) and designated this committee 
as the appropriate IMCO body to deal with amendments to the new 
Convention. Table XVII is a comparison of the major features of 
International Conventions for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. 
The text of the Convention including lists and pollution categories of 
oils and noxious liquid substances carried in bulk is given in Appendix 
VI. This Convention will enter into force twelve months after ratifica- 
tion by not less than fifteen states representing not less than fifty per- 
cent of the world’s shipping. 
Third U.N. Law of the Sea Conference 
The 25th U.N. General Assembly passed Resolution 2570 C to con- 
vene a Conference on the Law of the Sea beginning in 1973. The 
Committee on the Peaceful Uses of the Seabed and the Ocean Floor 
Beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction was established to prepare 
the groundwork for the Conference. Ninety-one nations were repre- 
sented on this committee which held its sixth preparatory session 
in Geneva July 2nd to August 24th, 1973. This Committee divided 
its work among three subcommittees with preservation of the marine 
environment delegated to Subcommittee III. A working group 
within Subcommittee III was formed to draft articles regarding 
preservation of the marine environment and the prevention of 
marine pollution. These articles focused on the general obligation of 
states to preserve and protect the marine environment, to adopt 
measures to prevent pollution, and to prevent damage to the marine 
environment. 
