AMENDMENTS TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PREVENTION OF  
MARINE POLLUTION BY DUMPING OF WASTES AND OTHER MATTER  
CONCERNING SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES 

(London, 12 October 1978) 

The Third Consultative Meeting, 

Recalling Article 11 of the Convention on the Prevention  
of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other  
Matter whereby the Contracting Parties undertake to  
consider procedures for the settlement of disputes  
concerning the interpretation and application of the  
Convention, 

Recalling further that the Second Consultative Meeting  
agreed to consider proposals at the Third Consultative  
Meeting to incorporate provisions for the settlement of  
disputes within the framework of the Convention with a  
view to the development and possible adoption of such  
provisions by that Meeting, 

Noting Article 10 of the Convention whereby the  
Contracting Parties undertake, in accordance with the  
principles of international law regarding State  
responsibility for damage to the environment of other  
States or to any other area of the environment, caused  
by dumping of wastes and other matter of all kinds, to  
develop procedures for the assessment of liability and  
the settlement of disputes regarding dumping, 

Bearing in mind the provisions of Article 13 whereby the  
Contracting Parties affirm that nothing in the  
Convention shall prejudice the codification and  
development of the law of the sea by the Third United  
Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea nor the present  
or future claims and legal views of any State concerning  
the law of the sea and the nature and extent of coastal  
and flag State jurisdiction, 

Having considered the proposed provisions on the  
settlement of disputes contained in the Report of the Ad  
Hoc Group of Legal Experts on Dumping, 

Adopts the following amendments to the Convention in  
accordance with Articles 14 (4) (a) and 15 (1) thereof: 

(a) amendments to Article 11; 

(b) amendments to Article 14 (4) (a) and 15 (1) (a); and 

(c) addition of an Appendix, the texts of which are set  
out in the Attachment to this Resolution, 

Requests the Secretary-General of the Inter-Governmental  

Maritime Consultative Organization to inform the  
Contracting Parties of the above-mentioned amendments in  
accordance with Article 15 (1) (b) of the Convention. 

Also requests the Secretary-General of the Inter- 
Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization to  
perform among his other Secretariat duties, functions  
provided for in the Appendix to the Convention regarding  
settlement of disputes, 

Invites the Contracting Parties to accept the amendments  
as soon as possible. 

ATTACHMENT: 

Amendments to the Convention 

Article 11 shall be replaced by the following: 

"Any dispute between two or more Contracting Parties  
concerning the interpretation or application of this  
Convention shall, if settlement by negotiation or by  
other means has not been possible, be submitted by  
agreement between the parties to the dispute to the  
International Court of Justice or upon the request of  
one of them to arbitration. Arbitration procedures,  
unless the parties to the dispute decide otherwise,  
shall be in accordance with the rules set out in the  
Appendix to this Convention". 

Article 14 (4) (a) shall be replaced by the following: 

"(a) review and adopt amendments to this Convention, its  
Annexes and Appendix in accordance with Article 15;" 

The first sentence of Article 15 (1) (a) shall be  
replaced by the following: 

"At meetings of the Contracting Parties called in  
accordance with Article 14 amendments to this Convention  
and its Appendix may be adopted by a two-thirds majority  
of those present". 

The Appendix mentioned in the amended Article 11 above  
is set out hereunder. 

Appendix 

omissis.