RECALLING Article 38(a) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization
concerning the functions of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (Committee)
conferred upon it by international conventions for the prevention and control of
marine pollution from ships,
RECALLING ALSO resolution MEPC.20 (22) by which it adopted the Code for the
Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (BCH
Code), and resolution MEPC.16(22) by which the BCH Code has become mandatory
under Annex II of the International Convention for the Prevention
of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto
(MARPOL),
NOTING article 16 of MARPOL and regulation 1.4 of MARPOL Annex
II concerning the procedure for amending the BCH Code,
HAVING CONSIDERED, at its seventy-second session, proposed amendments to the BCH Code
concerning the Model form of the Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of
Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk,
1 ADOPTS, in accordance with article 16(2)(d) of MARPOL, amendments to the BCH Code, the text of which is set out in the
annex to the present resolution;
2 DETERMINES, in accordance with article 16(2)(f)(iii) of MARPOL, that the amendments to the BCH Code shall be deemed to have been
accepted on 1 July 2019 unless, prior to that date, not less than one third of the
Parties or Parties, the combined merchant fleets of which constitute not less than
50% of the gross tonnage of the world's merchant fleet, have communicated to the
Organization their objection to the amendments;
3 INVITES the Parties to note that, in accordance with article 16(2)(g)(ii) of MARPOL, the amendments to the BCH Code shall enter into force on 1
January 2020 upon their acceptance in accordance with paragraph 2 above;
4 INVITES ALSO the Maritime Safety Committee to note this resolution and take action
as appropriate;
5 REQUESTS the Secretary-General, in conformity with article 16(2)(e) of MARPOL, to transmit certified copies of the present resolution and the
text of the amendments to the BCH Code contained in the annex to all parties to
MARPOL;
6 REQUESTS FURTHER the Secretary-General to transmit copies of the present resolution
and its annex to the Members of the Organization which are not Parties to MARPOL.