The Role of Imco in Combating Marine Pollution

Abstract

The Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO) is the United Nations specialised agency dealing with shipping matters. In keeping with IMCO’s modest beginnings and its rather pragmatic existence thereafter, its institutional structure was initially very simple, with a number of new organs being added only when this was considered necessary. This chapter looks at the Conventions dealing with marine pollution from ships which have either been adopted under the auspices of IMCO or in which IMCO plays some other role. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil was the first international Convention to deal with marine pollution. The Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Waste and Other Matter provides a comprehensive legal framework to control the dumping of industrial and other wastes at sea by ships and aircraft. The aim of MARPOL is to control all forms of international pollution of the sea from ships other than the dumping of wastes.