520 



4. "Wastes or other matter" means material and substances of 

 any kind, form or description. 



5. "Special permit" means permission granted especially on 

 application in advance and in accordance with Annex II and 

 Annex III. 



6. "General permit" means permission granted in advance and 

 in accordance with Annex III. 



7. "The Organisation" means the Organisation designated by 

 the Contracting Parties in accordance with Article XIV (2). 



Article IV 



1. In accordance with the provisions of this Convention Contracting 

 Parties shall prohibit the dumping of any wastes or other matter in 

 whatever form or condition except as otherwise specified below : 



(a) the dumping of wastes or other matter listed in Annex I is 

 prohibited ; 



(b) the dumping of wastes or other matter listed in Annex II 

 requires a prior special permit ; 



(c) the dumping of all other wastes or matter requires a prior 

 general permit. 



2. Any permit shall be issued only after careful consideration of all 

 the factors set forth in Annex III, including prior studies of the char- 

 acteristics of the dumping site, as set forth in Sections B and C of that 

 Annex. 



3. No provision of this Convention is to be interpreted as preventing 

 a Contracting Party from prohibiting, insofar as that Party is con- 

 cerned, the dumping of wastes or other matter not mentioned in 

 Annex I. That Party shall notify such measures to the Organisation. 



Article V 



1. The provisions of Article IV shall not apply when it is necessary 

 to secure the safety of human life or of vessels, aircraft, platforms 

 or other man-made structures at sea in cases of force majeure caused 

 by stress of weather, or in any case which constitutes a danger to hu- 

 man life or a real threat to vessels, aircraft, platforms or other man- 

 made structures at sea, if dumping appears to be the only way of 

 averting the threat and if there is every probability that the damage 

 consequent upon such dumping will be less than would otherwise occur. 

 Such dumping shall be so conducted as to minimise the likelihood of 

 damage to human or marine life and shall be reported forthwith to the 

 Organisation. 



2. A Contracting Party may issue a special permit as an exception 

 to Article IV(1) (a), in emergencies, posing unacceptable risk relat- 

 ing to human health' and admitting no other feasible solution. Before 

 doing so the Party shall consult any other country or countries that 

 are likely to be affected and the Organisation which, after consulting 

 other Parties, and international organisations as appropriate, shall in 

 accordance with Article XIV promptly recommend to the Party the 

 most appropriate procedures to adopt. The Party shall follow these 



