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THE MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION COMPENDIUM

MULTILATERAL / MARINE POLLUTION
Volume(s) 1-3; pages 1691-1692


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Amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil Concerning the Protection of the Great Barrier Reef, London, 1971


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Done at London 12 October 1971

Not in force


Primary source citation: Senate Executive K, 92d Congress, 2d Session, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, 1977


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AMENDMENTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PREVENTION OF POLLUTION OF THE SEA BY OIL, 1954 (AS AMENDED IN 1969), CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

RESOLUTION A.232(VII), ADOPTED ON 12 OCTOBER 1971

(ASSEMBLY7th session, Agenda item 9) THE ASSEMBLY,

NOTING Article 16(i) of the Convention on the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization, concerning the functions of the Assembly,

RECOGNIZING the Great Barrier Reef, which consists of a continuous chain of cays and live coral reefs extending for a distance of some 1250 miles from latitude 9° South to latitude 24° South and up to 145 nautical miles from the Australian coast, as an area of unique scientific importance and of extraordinary international significance, particularly in the field of tourism,

NOTING the deep concern expressed by the Government of Australia that the Great Barrier Reef should be maintained and preserved in its natural state free from pollution in any form particularly that caused by discharges from ships of oil or oily mixtures even in limited quantities,

RECALLING the definition of the term ‘from the nearest land’ as set out in Annex A(1) of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954, and restated in the amended text of Article I of the Convention as adopted by the Assembly in Resolution A.175(VI) on 21 October 1969,

NOTING FURTHER that Article XVI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954, provides for procedures for amendment involving participation by the Organization,

HAVING CONSIDERED the particular amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954, as amended in 1969 by Resolution A.175(VI), forming the subject of a recommendation by the Maritime Safety Committee at its twenty-third session in accordance with Article XVI of that Convention with a view to protecting the area known as the Great Barrier Reef from the effects of pollution by oil,

ADOPTS the following amendments to the Articles of the Convention (as amended in 1969), the texts of which are at Annex to this Resolution:

(a) the replacement of the definition of ‘nearest land’ in Article I by a new definition;

(b) the replacement of sub-paragraph (iv) of paragraph (a) of Article III by a new sub-paragraph,

REQUESTS the Secretary-General of the Organization, in conformity with Article XVI(2)(a), to communicate certified copies of this Resolution to all Contracting Governments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954, together with copies to all Members of the Organization,

INVITES all governments concerned to accept the Amendment at the earliest possible date after formal entry into force of the Amendments to the Convention adopted on 21 October 1969 by Resolution A.175(VI),

INVITES FURTHER governments which have implemented, on a national basis, the Amendments to the Convention adopted by the Assembly on 21 October 1969 to give effect also to the attached provisions for the protection of the Great Barrier Reef.

ANNEX

ARTICLE I

The existing text of the definition of ‘Nearest Land’ in Article I is replaced by the following:

‘Nearest land’. The term ‘from the nearest land’ means from the baseline from which the territorial sea of the territory in question is established in accordance with the Geneva Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, 1958, except that, for the purposes of the Convention ‘from the nearest land’ off the north eastern coast of Australia shall mean from a line drawn from a point on the coast of Australia in latitude 11° South, longitude 142°08° East to a point in latitude 10°35° South, longitude 141°55° East

thence to a point latitude 10°00 South, longitude 142°00 East

thence to a point latitude 9°10° South, longitude 143°52° East

thence to a point latitude 9°00° South, longitude 144°30° East

thence to a point latitude 13°00° South, longitude 144°00° East

thence to a point latitude 15°00° South, longitude 146°00° East

thence to a point latitude 18°00° South, longitude 147°00° East

thence to a point latitude 21°00° South, longitude 153°00° East

Thence to a point on the coast of Australia in latitude 24°42° South, longitude 153°15° East.

ARTICLE III

The existing text of sub-paragraph (iv) of paragraph (a) of Article III is replaced by the following:

(iv) the discharge is made as far as practicable from the nearest land.