IAMSAR Manual: Volume II, 2022

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships,1973 (MARPOL Convention), is concerned with preserving the marine environment through the prevention of pollution by oil and other harmful substances and the minimization of accidental discharge of such substances. Its technical content is laid out in six Annexes, the first five of which were adopted by the 1973 Convention, as modified by a 1978 Protocol. These Annexes cover pollution of the sea by oil, by noxious liquid substances in bulk, by harmful substances in packaged form, by sewage from ships and by garbage from ships. Annex VI was adopted by a further Protocol in 1997 and covers air pollution from ships. The 2022 consolidated edition provides an easy and comprehensive reference to the up-to-date provisions and unified interpretations of the articles, protocols and Annexes of the MARPOL Convention, including the incorporation of all of the amendments that have been adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) with entry into force up to 1 November 2022.

Port State control inspections contribute to ensuring that global maritime standards are being implemented consistently on all ships. This publication provides guidance for port State control officers on the conduct of inspections to support harmonization in the way inspections are carried out worldwide. This edition includes amendments to the *Guidelines for investigations and inspections carried out under MARPOL Annex II* (appendix 4), the *Guidelines for control of operational requirements* (appendix 7) and the *Guidelines for port State control under MARPOL Annex VI* (appendix 18).