MARPOL CONFERENCES

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes.
The MARPOL Convention was adopted on 2 November 1973 at IMO. The Protocol of 1978 was adopted in response to a spate of tanker accidents in 1976-1977. As the 1973 MARPOL Convention had not yet entered into force, the 1978 MARPOL Protocol absorbed the parent Convention. The combined instrument entered into force on 2 October 1983. In 1997, a Protocol was adopted to amend the Convention and a new Annex VI was added which entered into force on 19 May 2005. MARPOL has been updated by amendments through the years.
 
 
Note: For amendments to MARPOL 73/78 check the IMO document reference in Status of Mulilateral Conventions. Resolutions can be accessed in the Index of IMO Resolutions 
  
MP/CONF International Conference on Marine Pollution (8 October – 2 November 1973)
 
TSPP/CONF International Conference on Tanker Safety and Pollution Prevention, 1978 (6 – 17 February 1978) (Adopted the: Protocol of 1978 relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 and the Protocol of 1978 relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973)
 
MP/CONF.2 Conference of Parties to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto(1st & 3rd November 1994)
 
MP/CONF.3 Conference of Parties to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto(15-17, 22, 24-26 September 1997)