INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION
E
IMO
SCIENTIFIC GROUP OF THE LONDON
CONVENTION – 30th Meeting; and
LC/SG 30/INF.12
20 March 2007
ENGLISH ONLY
SCIENTIFIC GROUP OF THE LONDON
PROTOCOL – 1st Meeting
18 – 22 June 2007
Agenda item 6.4
TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE:
REVIEW OF TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION PROJECTS
Report of the IMO/ROPME Workshop on the London Convention and Protocol
4 to 6 February 2007, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Note by the Secretariat
SUMMARY
Executive summary:
This document reports on the IMO/ROPME Workshop on the London
Convention and Protocol, held from 4 to 6 February 2007, in
Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, and hosted by the Marine Emergency
Mutual Aid Centre (MEMAC)
Action to be taken:
Paragraph 9
Related documents:
LC/SG 28, paragraphs 263 to 265 and LC/SG 29/15, paragraph 5.12
Introduction
1
The IMO/ROPME Workshop on the London Convention and Protocol was organized
under the LC/LP Technical Co-operation and Assistance Programme (TC&AP) in co-operation
with the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) through
its Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Centre (MEMAC) and was held from 4 to 6 February 2007 at
the Regency Intercontinental Hotel in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
2
The primary objective of the Workshop was to raise awareness in the ROPME Sea
Region with regard to all aspects of the LP, including the legal, economic, technical and
administrative requirements and implications of ratification/accession.
Outcomes
3
The Workshop was attended by 13 delegates from the following ROPME Member States:
Kingdom of Bahrain, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman,
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates; two delegates representing the United States (US Navy
and US Embassy) and three representatives from MEMAC. While four ROPME Member States
are presently Parties to the LC or LP (Islamic Republic of Iran (LC only), Sultanate of Oman
(LC only), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (LP only) and the United Arab Emirates (LC only), all
States represented indicated that they were in much need of a better understanding of how to
implement the LC/LP and were keen to get more involved in future activities of the LC/LP,
including considering ratification/accession to the LP.
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For reasons of economy, this document is printed in a limited number. Delegates are
kindly asked to bring their copies to meetings and not to request additional copies.
LC/SG 30/INF.12
-2-
4
The Workshop included extensive lectures on the generic and specific guidance material
developed under the LC/LP and a special session was organized on the future Work Programme
of LC/LP and further technical co-operation activities in the ROPME region. Annex 1 to this
report contains the final Workshop Programme, whereas the draft recommendations from the
Workshop are found in annex 2. As only one of the ROPME Member States is currently a
Contracting Party to the LP, many of the recommendations focused on increasing the
membership to the Protocol in that region. It is envisaged that a full report of the Workshop will
also be prepared by MEMAC and distributed to all participants and sponsors. It is expected that
this MEMAC report will be submitted to the upcoming meetings under the Convention and
Protocol for information (SG 30, LC 29 and LP 2).
5
Mr. Victor Escobar Paredes (Ministry of Environment, Spain), Dr. Thomas Fredette
(US Army Corps of Engineers) and Mr. Edward Kleverlaan of the Secretariat, provided the
lectures at the Workshop. All handouts and presentations (PowerPoints) were compiled into a
“participant’s handbook” and provided to the participants on the first day of the Workshop.
All participants were also provided with copies of the Convention (English) and Protocol
(English and Arabic), the 2006 publications of the “Guidelines on the Convention on the
Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972” and the
“Guidelines for the sampling and analysis of dredged material intended for disposal at sea”
(both in English). Participants were also asked to complete the National Survey related to the
Barriers to Compliance Project and forward the answers to the Secretariat for future reference in
designing possible future work in the region.
6
The Workshop was deemed to be a great success by all with favourable feedback received
from the participants and by Captain Al-Janahi, Director of MEMAC. The staff at MEMAC was
very supportive throughout the Workshop and made everyone feel welcome.
7
It is recommended that IMO should continue to support the ROPME region in follow-up
requests focusing on in-country assistance. Through informal meetings, it was established that
requests for additional assistance at the national level may come from the Islamic Republic of
Iran, the Sultanate of Oman and perhaps from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of
Bahrain indicated that political processes were well underway for ratification of the
London Protocol.
8
The Workshop was funded primarily by the United States and substantial in-kind support
was provided by the Government of Spain. The total expenditure for the Workshop drawn from
the LC/LP TC&AP was approximately $10,000.
Action requested of the Scientific Groups
9
The Scientific Groups are invited to take note of the information provided and comment,
as they deem appropriate.
***
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LC/SG 30/INF.12
ANNEX 1
IMO/ROPME London Protocol Workshop
Regency Intercontinental Hotel, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
4 - 6 February 2007
Programme
Day 1, Sunday, 4 February
08.30-09.30
Arrival and registration of participants
09.30-10.30
Official opening
• Welcome address
• Opening remarks by IMO
• Opening remarks by ROPME
representative
• Workshop aims and objectives
• Lecturer introductions
• Introductions of participants
• Timetable and materials
Speaker/Lecturer
Captain A.M. AL-Janahi
(MEMAC)
Victor Escobar
(Chairman LC/LP)
Edward Kleverlaan
(IMO)
Dr. Thomas Fredette
(US ACE)
10.30-11.00
Refreshments
11.00-12.30
Legal Framework for Marine Pollution Victor Escobar
Management
• Introduction to London Convention and its
Protocol
• Legal, economic and technical implications
of membership (Accession)
12.30-14.30
Lunch
14.30-16.00
Legal Framework for Marine Pollution Edward Kleverlaan
Management (Continued)
• Other International Treaties (Basel,
MARPOL, Ballast Water, Anti-fouling
Systems)
• Regional/Local Agreements/Regulations
• Discussion
16.00-16.30
Refreshments
16.30-17.30
Introduction to Waste Assessment Guidance
• Key components of Waste Assessment
Guidance
• Waste characterization
17.30
End of day one
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Dr. Thomas Fredette
LC/SG 30/INF.12
ANNEX 1
Page 2
Day 2, Monday, 5 February
09.00-10.30
Introduction to Waste Assessment Guidance (Continued)
• Waste management options
• Identification of disposal sites
• Permitting process
• Environmental impact assessment and monitoring
Dr. Thomas Fredette
10.30-11.00
Refreshments
11.00-12.00
Specific Waste Assessment Guidance (WAG)
• Dredged Material WAG
• Vessels and Platforms WAG’s
• Vessel Best Management Practices
• Other WAGS (Organic, Sewage, Fish, Inert, CO2 –
in preparation)
12.00-14.00
Lunch
14.00-14.30
London Protocol Requirements/Procedures
• Procedures for emergency dumping
• Monitoring of disposal sites
• Monitoring reports (field; compliance)
• Dumping reports
14.30-15.30
Discussion
15.00-15.30
Refreshments
15.30-16.30
Monitoring of waste disposal at sea
• London Convention Experiences:
o WAGs and Monitoring of Disposal Sites,
Monitoring Reports
Dr. Thomas Fredette
16.30-17.30
Case Studies
Edward Kleverlaan
Dr. Thomas Fredette
Victor Escobar
Edward Kleverlaan
Participants
17.30
End of day two
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LC/SG 30/INF.12
ANNEX 1
Page 3
Day 3, Tuesday, 6 February
09.00-10.30
Introduction to Dredged Material Management
•
•
•
•
Dr. Thomas Fredette
Dredging and Dredged Material Disposal
Technical Framework for Environmental Evaluations
Dredged Material Testing and Evaluation
Beneficial Uses:
o Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material
o Website Demonstration
10.30-11.00
Refreshments
11.00-12.00
Work Programmes of London Convention and Protocol
12.00-14.00
Lunch Break
14.00-15.00
Technical Co-operation and Assistance – Outreach in Edward Kleverlaan
your Region
Refreshments
15.00-15.30
15.30-17.00
Course close-out session
Pending issues – Action List Development
Presentation of certificates
17.00
End of Workshop
***
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Victor Escobar
All
LC/SG 30/INF.12
ANNEX 2
DRAFT WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS FORMULATED
ON 6 FEBRUARY 2007
The First Regional Workshop in ROPME Sea Area on the Convention on the Prevention of
Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and other Matter, 1972 and its 1996 Protocol
(London Convention) was held in K. Bahrain from the 4 to 6 February 2007 and attended
by representatives of K. Bahrain, I. R. Iran, S. Oman, Qatar, K. Saudi Arabia and United Arab
Emirates as well as by representatives of MEMAC and IMO.
WELCOMING the ongoing activities of the ROPME/MEMAC and the IMO in addressing several
issues on the protection of the marine environment in the Region;
RECALLING the Kuwait Regional Convention, 1978, which clearly indicates by its articles that
the States should take all measures, at National and Regional levels, to protect the marine
environment from various sources of pollution such as pollution from ships, pollution caused by
dumping from ships and aircraft, pollution from land-based sources, pollution resulting from
exploration and exploitation, and pollution from other human activities;
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that Article 210 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS) provides, inter alia, that “States shall adopt laws and regulations to prevent,
reduce and control pollution of the marine environment by dumping …….”;
NOTING the objectives of the 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine
Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and other Matter, 1972 which will supersede the Convention;
MINDFUL of the special hydrographic and ecological characteristics of the marine environment
of the ROPME Sea Region and its particular vulnerability to pollution;
RECALLING FURTHER the need to ensure that the processes of urban and natural development
and residual land use should be carried out in such a manner as to preserve, as far as possible,
marine resources and coastal amenities, and that such development should not lead to
deterioration of the marine environment;
BEARING IN MIND the various activities and the vast development, which resulted from rapid
stress from the shipping traffic, several human activities, exploration and exploitation;
RECOGNIZING that the ROPME Sea Area is one of the largest recipients of the world’s
shipping and the predicted rapid increase in shipping activity in the ROPME Region in the near
future and the associated high risks of dumping to the marine environment, human health and
resources;
CONSIDERING the limited information existing for the ROPME Sea Area regarding dumping;
RECOGNIZING FURTHER the need for quantifying the risk posed by dumping in order to
develop risk-minimization measures; and
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LC/SG 30/INF.12
ANNEX 2
Page 2
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the necessity of building capacity to address this issue and raising
further awareness of this serious issue in the ROPME Sea Region the workshop participants:
.1
RECOMMEND to ratify the Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of
Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and other Matter 1972, which entered
into force on 24 of March 2006 and eventually will supersede the London
Convention;
.2
RECOMMEND the development of National legal, institutional and
administrative arrangements to implement the requirements of the London
Convention/Protocol dumping guidelines developed under these instruments,
whenever deemed necessary;
.3
RECOMMEND ALSO to establish a regional information-sharing network
consisting of relevant national organizations to facilitate the exchange of data and
information related to the Convention/Protocol;
.4
RECOMMEND to strengthen co-ordination and co-operation among the
environmental, maritime and other related organizations;
.5
RECOMMEND and encourage that with respect to vessels and aircraft, entitled to
sovereign immunity under international law, where the Member States should act
in a manner consistent with the Kuwait Regional Convention and London
Convention/Protocol, whereas the dumping of obsolete ammunition is concerned;
.6
RECOMMEND to ensure that the placement of artificial reefs is consistent with
the aims of the Kuwait Regional Convention and London Convention, and the
Member States should preferably avoid any placement of ships for this purpose
until the specific guidelines on this activity being developed by the International
Maritime Organization are completed;
.7
RECOMMEND the Member States to enhance their co-operation in the field of
monitoring the effects of dumping operations;
.8
RECOMMEND and encourage to consider the special needs of small island
developing countries in the ROPME Sea Region in relation to environmental
management;
.9
RECOMMEND the need to establish co-operation, co-ordination and exchange of
information with the London Convention Secretariat, as well as harmonize the
reporting format on dumping activities between the two secretariats of the
International Maritime Organization (Office for the London Convention/Protocol)
and ROPME/MEMAC;
.10
RECOMMEND to consider the need to prepare an assessment of the dumping of
chemical warfare ammunitions and obsolete conventional ammunitions dumped in
the ROPME Sea Area;
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LC/SG 30/INF.12
ANNEX 2
Page 3
.11
RECOMMEND the need to collect information on the treatment on land of
contaminated dredged material;
.12
RECOMMEND an assessment of the States’ needs and subsequently, the
preparation of a technical cooperation programme for an adequate application of
the Protocol and its guidelines in collaboration with competent international
organizations i.e. International Maritime Organization (in particular) the Office
for the London Convention and Protocol) and to keep under review; and
.13
RECOMMEND the development of a methodology to assist countries with the
establishment of national limit values (Action Levels) for the management of
dredged materials.
__________
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