RECALLING Article 38(a) of the Convention on the International
Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Marine Environment
Protection Committee conferred upon it by the international conventions
for the prevention and control of marine pollution,
RECALLING ALSO that the International Conference on Ballast
Water Management for Ships held in February 2004 adopted the International
Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water
and Sediments, 2004 (Ballast Water Management Convention)
together with four Conference resolutions,
NOTING that regulation A-2 of
the Ballast Water Management Convention requires that discharge of
ballast water shall only be conducted through Ballast Water Management
in accordance with the provisions of the Annex to the Convention,
NOTING FURTHER that Section C of
the Annex to the International Convention for the Control and Management
of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments provides that, if a Party, individually
or jointly with other Parties, determines that measures in addition
to those in Section B of the Convention
are necessary to prevent, reduce, or eliminate the transfer of harmful
aquatic organisms and pathogens through ships' ballast water and sediments,
such Party or Parties may, consistent with international law, require
ships to meet a specified standard or requirement taking into account
the Guidelines developed by the Organization,
NOTING ALSO that resolution 1 adopted by the International
Conference on Ballast Water Management for Ships invited the Organization
to develop these Guidelines as a matter of urgency,
HAVING CONSIDERED, at its fifty-sixth session, the draft
Guidelines for additional measures regarding ballast water management
including emergency situations (G13) developed by the Ballast Water
Working Group,
1 ADOPTS the Guidelines for additional measures
regarding ballast water management including emergency situations
(G13) as set out in the annex to this resolution;
2 INVITES Governments to apply these Guidelines
as soon as possible, or when the Convention becomes applicable to
them; and
3 AGREES to keep these Guidelines under review.