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Appendix V 
CONVENTION ON THE PREVENTION oF MartnE PouiuTion BY DUMPING 
oF WASTES AND OriteR MATTER 
The Contracting Parties to this Convention, 
Recognizing that the marine environment and the living organisms 
which it supports are of vital importance to humanity, and all people 
have an interest in assuring that it is so managed that its quality and 
resources are not impaired ; 
Recognizing that the capacity of the sea to assimilate wastes and 
render them harmless, and its ability to regenerate natural resources, 
is not unlimited ; 
Recognizing that States have, in accordance with the Charter of the 
United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign 
right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environ- 
mental policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities within 
their jurisdiction or control do net cause damage to the environment 
of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction; 
feecalling Resolution 2749 (X XV) of the General Assembly of the 
United Nations on the principles governing the sea-bed and the ocean 
floor and the subsoil thereof, beyond the limits of national jurisdic- 
tion: 
Noting that marine pollution originates in many sources, such as 
dumping and discharges through the atmosphere, rivers, estuaries, 
outialls and pipelines, and that 1¢ 1s important that States use the best 
practicable means to prevent such pollution and develop products and 
processes which will reduce the amonrt of harmful wastes to be dis- 
posed of; 
Being convinced that international action to control the pollution 
of the sea by dumping can and must he taken without delay but that 
this action should nct preclude discussion of measures to control other 
sources of marine pollution as scon as possible; and m 
Wishing to improve protection of the marine environment by en- 
couraging States with 2 common interest in particular geographical 
areas to enter into appropriate agreemezits supplementary to this Con- 
vention ; . 
Have agreed as follows: 
ARTICLE I 
Contracting Partics shall individually and collectively promote the 
effective control of all sources of pollution of the marine environment, 
and pledge themse!ves especially to take all practicable steps to pre- 
vent the pollution of the sea by the dumping of waste and other matter 
that is liable to create hazards to human health, to harm living re- 
sources and marine life, to damage amenities or to interfere with 
other legitimate uses of the sea. 
