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Appendix VI 
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PREVENTION OF JDOLLUTION FROM 
Surpes, 1973 
Text of the Articles of the Convention as adopted by the Conference 
The parties to the Convention, being conscious of the need to preserve the hu- 
man environment in general and the marine environment in particular, 
Recogizing that deliberate, negligent or accidental release of oil and other harmi- 
ful substances from ships constitutes a serious source of pollution, 
Recognizing also the importance of the International Convention for the Pre- 
vention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954, as being the first multilateral instru- 
ment to be concluded with the prime objective of protecting the environment, 
and appreciating the significant contribution which that Convention has made in 
preserving the seas and coastal environment from pollution, 
Desiring to achieve the complete elimination of intentional pollution of the 
marine environment by oil and other harmful substances and the minimization 
of accidental discharge of such substances, 
Considering that this object may best be achieved by establishing rules not 
limited to oil pollution having a universal purport, 
lave agreed as follows: 
Article 1 
GENERAL OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE CONVENTION 
(1) The Parties to the Convention undertake to give effect to the provisions 
of the present Convention and those Annexes thereof by which they are bound, 
in order to prevent the pollution of the marine environment by the discharge 
of harmful substances or effluents containing such susbtances in contravention 
of the Convention. 
(2) Unless expressly provided otherwise, a reference to the present Convention 
constitutes at the same time a reference to is Protocols and to the Annexes. 
Article 2 
DEFINITIONS 
For the purposes of the present Convention, unless expressly provided other- 
wise: 
(1) “Regulations” means the Regulations contained in the Annexes to the 
present Convention. 
(2) “Harmful substance” means any substance which, if introduced into the 
sea, is liable to create hazards to human health, to harm living resources and 
marine life, to damage amenities or to interfere with other legitimate uses of 
the sea, and includes any substance subject to control by the present Convention. 
(3) (a) “Discharge”, in relation to harmful substances or effluents containing 
such substances, means any release howsoever caused from a ship and includes 
any escape, disposal, spilling, leaking, pumping, emitting or emptying. 
(b) “Discharge” does not include: 
(i) dumping within the meaning of the Convention on the Prevention of 
Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter done at 2ondon 
on 13 November 1972; 
(ii) release of harmful substances directly arising from the exploration, 
exploitation and associated off-shore processing of sea-bed mineral resources ; 
or 
(iii) release of harmful substances for purposes of legitimate scientific 
research into pollution abatement or control. 
