BWM Convention and Guidelines - IMO.org

The Conference adopted the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (the Ballast Water Management ... BWMConvention FollowingtheUNConferenceonEnvironmentandDevelopment(UNCED),heldinRiodeJaneiroin1992,theIMOinitiatednegotiationstoconsiderthepossibilitiesofdevelopinganinternationallybindinginstrumenttoaddressthetransferofharmfulaquaticorganismsandpathogensinships’ballastwater.From1999onwards,theBallastWaterWorkingGroup,establishedbytheMEPCin1994,focusedonthepreparationofafree-standingConventiononcontrolandmanagementofships’ballastwaterandsediments.Theintroductionofharmfulaquaticorganismsandpathogenstonewenvironmentshadbeenidentifiedasoneofthefourgreatestthreatstotheworld’soceans(theotherthreebeingland-sourcedmarinepollution,overexploitationoflivingmarineresourcesanddestructionofhabitat)andin2002theWorldSummitonSustainableDevelopmentheldinJohannesburgcalledforactionatalllevelstoacceleratethedevelopmentofmeasurestoaddressinvasiveaquaticspeciesinballastwater.Propercontrolandmanagementofships’ballastwaterbecameamajorenvironmentalchallengefor IMOandtheglobalshippingindustry.Atitseighty-ninthsessioninNovember 2002,theCouncilapprovedtheconveningoftheDiplomaticConferenceinearly2004.ThedecisionoftheCouncilwasendorsedbythetwenty-thirdsessionoftheAssemblyinDecember2003andtheInternationalConferenceonBallastWaterManagementforShips’washeldatIMO’s HeadquartersinLondonfrom9to13February2004.TheConferenceadoptedtheInternationalConventionfortheControlandManagementofShips’BallastWaterandSediments(theBallastWaterManagementConvention),togetherwithfourconferenceresolutions.Forasummaryofthecontentofthisnewinstrumentpleaseclick here.PurchasetheInternationalConventionfortheControlandManagementofShips’BallastWaterandSediments(ISBN978-92-801-15031,salesnumber:I621E)by clickinghere. AmendmentstotheConventionAtitsseventy-secondsessioninApril2018,MEPCadoptedamendmentstotheConvention,whichwillenterintoforceinOctober2019.Theamendmentsare: amendmentstoregulationsA-1andD-3oftheBWMConventiontomaketheBWMSCodemandatory(resolutionMEPC.296(72));  .amendmentstoregulationB-3oftheBWMConvention,concerningtheimplementationscheduleofballastwatermanagementforships(resolutionMEPC.297(72)),alongwitharesolutionrelatingtothedeterminationofthesurveyreferredtoinregulation B‑3(resolutionMEPC.298(72));and .amendmentstoregulationsE-1andE-5oftheBWMConvention,concerningendorsementsofadditionalsurveysontheInternationalBallastWaterManagementCertificate(resolutionMEPC.299(72)).MEPC72alsoadoptedthe BWMSCode(resolutionMEPC.300(72)),whichwillsupersedethe2016Guidelinesforapprovalofballastwatermanagementsystems(G8)fromOctober 2019.FurtheramendmentstotheBWMConventionmayoccurnowthattheConventionisinforce,includingapossiblecomprehensivesetofamendmentsafterthe ballastwaterexperience‑buildingphase(EBP)(resolutionMEPC.290(71)).Takingintoconsiderationthatchallengesmayariseduringtheimplementationofanynewconventionthatwerenotforeseenatthetimeofitsadoption,theEBPwasestablishedbyMEPCatitsseventy-firstsessioninJuly2017asameansforcarryingoutasystematicandevidence-basedreviewoftheBWMConvention.BWMGuidelinesSeveralarticlesandregulationsoftheBallastWaterManagementConventionrefertoguidelinestobedevelopedbytheOrganizationandConferenceresolution1invitesIMOtodeveloptheseguidelinesasamatterofurgencyandadoptthemassoonaspracticable,andinanycasebeforetheentryintoforceoftheConvention,withaviewtofacilitateglobalanduniformimplementationoftheinstrument.Inacommendableefforttofacilitatetheprocess,theIMOMemberStateshavedeveloped14setsofGuidelinesfromJuly2005toOctober2008,someofwhichhavesincebeenfurtherrevised. ThisoutstandingandprobablyuniqueoutputintheworkinghistoryofMEPC,wouldhavenotbeenpossiblewithoutthededicationoftheBWWGandthetechnicalsupportoftheBLG,FSIandDESub-Committees.Itshouldbenotedthat,duetothecomplexityandmulti-disciplinarynatureoftheproblemposedbyinvasiveaquaticspeciesinships'ballastwater,theworkisinitspioneeringphaseandknowledgeisonlynowgatheringinthisrespect.TheGuidelinesarekeptunderreviewbytheMEPCandupdatedasnewtechnologiesemergeandadditionalknowledgebecomesavailable.Thefollowingistheup-to-datelistofGuidelinesrelatingtotheuniformimplementationoftheBWM Conventionthathavebeendeveloped, adoptedand,in somecases,revised sinceMEPC53:Guidelinesforsedimentreceptionfacilities(G1)(resolutionMEPC.152(55));Guidelinesforballastwatersampling(G2)(resolutionMEPC.173(58));Guidelinesforballastwatermanagementequivalentcompliance(G3)(resolutionMEPC.123(53));Guidelinesforballastwatermanagementanddevelopmentofballastwatermanagementplans (G4)(resolutionMEPC.127(53));Guidelinesforballastwaterreceptionfacilities(G5)(resolutionMEPC.153(55));2017Guidelinesforballastwaterexchange(G6)(resolutionMEPC.288(71));2017GuidelinesforriskassessmentunderregulationA-4oftheBWMConvention(G7)(resolutionMEPC.289(71));2016Guidelinesforapprovalofballastwatermanagementsystems(G8) (resolutionMEPC.279(70))(thiswillbesupersededbytheBWMSCode(resolution.300(72))inOctober2019);ProcedureforapprovalofballastwatermanagementsystemsthatmakeuseofActive Substances (G9)(resolutionMEPC.169(57));Guidelinesforapprovalandoversightofprototypeballastwatertreatmenttechnologyprogrammes(G10)(resolutionMEPC.140(54));Guidelinesforballastwaterexchangedesignandconstructionstandards(G11)(resolution MEPC.149(55));2012Guidelinesondesignandconstructiontofacilitatesedimentcontrolonships(G12)(resolutionMEPC.209(63));Guidelinesforadditionalmeasuresregardingballastwatermanagementincludingemergencysituations(G13)(resolutionMEPC.161(56));Guidelinesondesignationofareasforballastwaterexchange(G14)(resolutionMEPC.151(55));GuidelinesforballastwaterexchangeintheAntarctictreatyarea(resolutionMEPC.163(56));andGuidelinesforportStatecontrolundertheBWMConvention(resolutionMEPC.252(67)). TheGuidelinesandotherrelevantguidancedocumentscanbefound here. 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