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This study guide will act as your reference for the debate in our council.
However, this study guide will not cover all the materials and information regarding
the issue , but rather provide a good starting point of your further research upon the
issues of Reducing Pollution by Ships. Do not hesitate to send us messages if you have
questions. We are eager to address any concerns you may have before, during, and
after the conference. We look forward to meeting you on your fruitful sessions.
Regards,
Raditya S. Rahim
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Welcoming Remarks from Co-Chair of IMO
Greetings, I am Huzaifa Fazal from India, but currently am staying and pursuing my
studies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I will be one of the Board of Dias of Asia Youth
International Model United Nations 2018 and will be assisting you as the co-chair of
the International Maritime Organization (IMO) alongside the chair–Raditya Rahim.
I am delighted to welcome all the delegates coming from various parts of the world
to attend AYIMUN 2018, where you will be learning and experiencing how decisions
are made at an international level in the United Nations and at the same time
developing various soft skills such as public speaking, critical thinking and negotiation.
And of course, having fun in the various activities that the secretariat has planned for
you.
With that being said, I can't wait to meet you all in Bangkok!
Best Regards
Mohammad Huzaifa Fazal
International Maritime Organization
Asia Youth International Model United Nations 2018
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Council Overview
Because of the international nature of the shipping industry, it has long been
carried out at the international level rather than by individual countries acting
In the 10-year period between the adoption of the convention and its entry into
force in 1958, other problems related to safety but requiring slightly different emphasis
had attracted international attention. One of the most important of these was the
threat of marine pollution from ships, particularly pollution by oil carried in tankers.
for administering and promoting it was assumed by IMO in January 1959. From the
very beginning, the improvement of maritime safety and the prevention of marine
pollution have been IMO’s most important objectives. In the early 2000s, maritime
“The overall objectives are summed up in the IMO slogan: safe, secure and efficient
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The Organization is the only United Nations specialized agency to have its
Headquarters in the United Kingdom. It currently (June 2013) has 170 Member States
and three Associate Members. Its governing body, the Assembly, meets once every
IMO is a technical organization and most of its work is carried out in a number
of committees and subcommittees. The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) was one of
the main organs, along with the Assembly and Council, established by the 1948
Convention on IMO. Today, the MSC deals with all matters relating to the safety of
shipping, as well as addressing maritime security issues and piracy and armed robbery
against ships.
activities in the prevention and control of pollution of the environment from ships.
The Legal Committee was originally established to deal with the legal problems
arising from the Torrey Canyon accident of 1967, but it was subsequently made a
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permanent committee. It is responsible for considering any legal matters within the
These are aimed at reducing the formalities and simplifying the documentation
required of ships when entering or leaving ports or other terminals. All the technical
bodies of IMO, and the IMO Assembly, are open to participation by all Member
General, who is assisted by a staff of some 300 international civil servants. The
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Topic ‘Prevention of Pollution by Ships’
Background
Today, more than 90 percent of global trade transpires through the shipping
industry. That involves about 90,000 marine vessels globally ("Shipping Pollution); and
as all modes of transportations that consume fossil fuels, the shipping industry
produces vast amounts of carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants that contribute
to global warming and various other forms of pollution that harm marine and human
life.
It is estimated that from all the global emissions of carbon dioxide that is
attributed as a result of man-made activities, the shipping industry accounts for 2-3%
economies that are at the top of the list in terms of carbon emission. In fact, if the
shipping industry were to be considered as an entity it would be the 6th largest emitter
of greenhouse gases responsible for global warming, only behind U.S.A, China, India,
Japan and Russia. Greenhouse gas emissions by ships is expected to increase by 50-
250% by 2050 if no consequential action is taken. It is clear that the shipping industry
Major accidents at sea have also caused the industry to realize the need to
tanker called Torrey Canyon ran aground spilling 120,000 tons of crude oil into the
sea. Up to that time, it was the largest incident involving oil pollution and thus
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garnered attention as the oil trade industry grew (MARPOL73-38:Breif History, 2015).
Consultative Organization (IMCO), as it was known until 1982, was prompted to draft
a series of new frameworks and conventions in order to reduce and prevent such
for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil (OILPOL) 1954 was one of few
conventions that was brought under the aegis of IMO when it began its operations.
IMO has maintained and promoted OILPOL through the various amendments that
have been made to it in 1962, 1969, and 1971. OILPOL stated that the cleaning of
cargo tanks in routine shipboard operations is what caused most of the oil pollution at
sea. It was a normal practice in the 1950s to drain out the mixture of water and oil
after cleaning the tanks right into the sea. This practice was prevented by OILPOL 54.
Dumping of oily water waste was not allowed within a certain distance of land and
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) in 1973. Since then, MARPOL
has been one of the most important conventions regarding marine environmental
Ships mostly use heavy fuel oil which is a crude oil by-product. Heavy oils
contain Sulphur concentrations that are about 1800 times more than those in diesels
and petrol used by cars and bikes. 2 billions barrels are expected to be used by ships
annually. Particles that are released from exhausts of ships are transformed into toxic
particles and often let adrift far away from their originating positions on the shipping
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routes. Not only do they endanger the health of humans and acidify water bodies
nearby, their reach can be up to hundreds of kilometers inland as well. Studies show
that Sulphur- related pollution emitted by ships are responsible for 400,000 premature
deaths that have resulted due to lung cancer and cardiovascular disease, and 14
million cases of childhood asthma annually (Winebrake & Corbett, 2018). In light of
these alarming numbers and the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, or the Sustainable
Development Goals, the IMO is dedicated to achieving the 17 goals set out as it is one
that refer to the use of clean energy, climate action and preservation of marine life
respectively. With these in mind, the International Maritime Organization must devise
frameworks and conventions to monitor and set regulations that help prevent the
contamination and pollution of the atmosphere and marine life. And to ensure the
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Past International Actions
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by OIL (OILPOL)
The oil and gas industry was already booming in the mid 1900s. This gave rise
to the number of tankers being used to transport the products of this growing industry.
Sea being the cheapest means of transport, it was used extensively for shipping. This
grew concerns in the international community as accidents involving oil tankers were
In London, May 12, 1954, the International Convention for the Prevention of
Pollution of the Sea by Oil (OILPOL), an international treaty was signed. This
convention realised that the majority of oil pollution was a result of everyday shipboard
operations such as the cleaning of cargo tanks. It was a normal practice in the 1950s
to drain out the mixture of water and oil after cleaning the tanks right into the sea.
This practice was prevented by OILPOL 54. Dumping of oily water waste was not
allowed within a certain distance of land and also in predefined places that were
OILPOL was one of the many conventions that was brought under the aegis of
IMO when it began its operations in 1959. Since then its implementation has been
promoted and monitored by the IMO. OILPOL was later incorporated into the
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) in 1973.
SOLAS Convention
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The international Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was first
maritime treaty that deals with the safety of merchant ships. It specifies minimum
SOLAS 1974 has 162 contracting states as of March 2016. This covers about
99% of the world’s merchant ships in terms of gross tonnage. There are 3 states that
are considered non-parties to SOLAS 1974, which include Sri Lanka, Bolivia and
Lebanon. Due to them not being compelled to SOLAS, they are often considered flag
of convenience states.
Flag states are required by SOLAS 1974 to ensure the implementation of the
safety standards set out by the convention onto ships flagged by them. Some countries
have incorporated the international standards of SOLAS into their national laws to
facilitate its implementation and to ensure that legal proceedings will be in order if
any party is found to have breached them. The convention includes general obligations
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International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution by Ship 73/78 (MARPOL)
In 1959, OILPOL was one of the most important conventions taken under by
the IMO, yet its importance was not reflected by states as they showed little to no
signs of concern towards the danger to marine bodies that resulted from oil pollution.
This outlook was only changed after the one of the biggest oil pollution incident
In 1967, the Torrey Canyon left Kuwait for its final voyage with crude oil. It
was grounded by a rock while entering the English Channel, spilling up to 120,000
tons of crude oil into the sea. After this major incident, several amendments were
made to the OILPOL convention with the scope of including revised guidelines on
reducing cargo capacity on tankers and introducing new shipboard operations that
(MARPOL) came into existence at a conference held on 1973 by the IMO. Many of the
provisions of the amended OILPOL convention as well as many new guidelines and
frameworks were incorporated into MARPOL. IMO’s goal at hand at the time was to
MARPOL covered not only operational and accidental pollution but also many types of
pollution such as pollution by sewage, garbage, chemicals, goods in packed form and
air pollution.
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Originally MARPOL could not be enforced due to the lack of
Convention and the 1978 Protocol, has entered force on 1983. This was achieved by
the new system of tacit acceptance. Previously, for IMO conventions to be binding it
had to be ratified by a number of member states whose combined total gross tonnage
amounted to at least 50% of the world’s gross tonnage. The new system of tacit
acceptance states that if objections are not heard from member states after a certain
timeframe, it will be assumed that they assented to the treaty. 152 states,
representing 99% of global shipping tonnage, have ratified the convention as of May
complicated. When a ship visits another country, that country can conduct its own
can detain the ship. When jurisdiction is unclear or cannot be determined, then flag
states are referred to, in accordance of MARPOL. However, reports have documented
and shown that even when flag states are referred to, response rates have been poor
at best.
The question of the effects of the implementation of MARPOL have also been
raised time and time again. When IMO standards are enforced, shipping costs increase
and thus potentially push freight traffic back onto roads could be an environmentally
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Main Issues on Topic
There is a prominent line of thought in modern trade that hails the decline of
sustainability in the world. Indeed, statistics show that air pollution, water pollution,
noise pollution, wildlife collisions, and other forms of human error activity have
dramatically decreased over the past few decades. This hopeful trend can be
attributed to manifold factors, including the progress of actors and the rising
After all, if actors are hardwired to protect their in-group and engage in their
own interests when their status, resources, and security are threatened, how could
we have overcome our primal instincts while such threats exist? Not all of these forms
of threats involve human and ecosystem directly; rather, it affects us indirectly and
will cause such damage in the future. It is these aspects of conflict that the IMO should
take note of in the world around us, and seek to diffuse in the coming year. We have
determined that the benefits of greener shipping outweigh the costs. Yet global
creating delays that can endanger public health and the environment.
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Atmospheric Pollution
and greenhouse pollutants are very common in shipping realm. It has caused more
than 50.000 premature deaths in Europe only; and more than 23.000 deaths in Asia–
East Asia became the highest number regarding premature deaths as the effect of air
emissions and pollutants. Just as the exhaust tanks in vehicles emit waste fumes and
noxious air, the engine of the cruise ships also emit such unwanted air. And the scope
of the gases emitted differs hugely between the vehicular emissions on the road and
the cruise ship emissions on the sea, leading to ship pollution of immense proportions
There are three main particles that can caused severe damage to human and
wildlife in general; namely Sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NOx), and
particulate matter (PM). Its shape can easily pass through our skin and blend with our
blood which will trigger inflammations which will cause internal damage such as heart
There are actions taken by countries, regions, and even IMO which will
decreasing the number usage of Sulphur to 0.5% by 2020. European Union (EU) has
shown its concern related to the matter along with bodies in charge to pollution caused
by ships.
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Safeness of Coral Reefs and Marines Life
The ecosystem beneath the sea must be considered by IMO in order to preserve
the species and all aspects exist. There are several ways which ships can caused
damage to the environment and endanger marines life. Bilge water pollution and solid
waste pollution are some of the main issues. However, delegates are required to bring
their concerns to the table and bring new approaches in order to deal with such issues.
Bilge water or known as oil pollution caused by mostly cargo ships and tanker.
Untreated bilge water can contain oil, gasoline, solvents, detergents, chemicals, and
more and when discharged in to the sea can negatively affect biodiversity, food, and
health in coastal areas, oceans and waterways. Faulty engine system and improper
repair work are two areas through which oil could leak and mix with the oceanic water.
Collisions and accidents are also a reason or oil pollution. Since oil is heavier than
water, it does not degrade quickly leading to problems to marine creatures and plants
that are forced to ingest such polluted water. The source of bilge water accumulation
housekeeping;
alls;
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• Water condensed from air systems (such as air-conditioning equipment, air
cooler drains).
advancement of human social orders and universal delivery industry, which conveys
90% of the world exchange, is the existence blood of worldwide economy. Amid ships
rubbish are created from galleys, group lodges and motor/deck divisions stores. This
audit gives a diagram of the present practices locally available and looks at the proof
keeps the contamination of ocean from ships different releases, very much archived
strong and dangerous waste administration rehearses are being taken after locally
available boats.
All ship board squanders are gathered, isolated, put away and discarded in
fitting areas, as per shipping organization's natural insurance strategy and strong and
dangerous waste administration design. For instance, sustenance buildups are ground
installed and dropped into the ocean as fish nourishment. Cardboard and so forth are
singed installed in incinerators. Glass is arranged into dim/light and stored aground,
as are plastics, metal, tins, batteries, fluorescent tubes, and so on. The deposit from
plastic burning which is as yet considered as plastic is taken back to shore for transfer.
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New targets are being set up to diminish the volume of junk created and discarded to
shore offices, and more up to date dispatches are utilizing baling machines which pack
cardboard and so on into bundles to be taken shore wards. The refuse administration
and its control framework fill in as a 'consistent change' procedure to accomplish new
targets. Such materials end up forming an unwanted debris on the oceanic surface
leading to large scale threats for the oceanic plants and creatures.
As mentioned many times previously, the issue of pollution by ships has only
been recently conceived. As such, there are no broad international initiatives from
which to draw inspiration. However, bits and pieces of past international actions
regarding certain sub-issues could serve as models for parts of a potential resolution.
Possible Solutions
In order to prevent pollutants and its potential impact on human health and
tackling the many different problems that pollution by ships poses. Delegates is
required to bring their own solutions and this part will act as a guideline for delegates
Innovation
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There are manifold ways in which both governments and civilians can work
towards new innovations so as to help prevent further damage and its detrimental
effects on human health and marines’ life. Potential solutions include creating new
design of vessels and ships in order to prevent damage to coral reefs with an
Governments could also encourage companies to make and/or use ships and
vessels which either making it more accessible, both financially and geographically, or
providing tax breaks for those using electric or hybrid ships and vessels. Furthermore,
recycling is another important way in which both governments and companies need
alternative technology or ideas might prove beneficial for reducing damages caused
actors about ways to quickly and easily begin discovering new ideas.
emission increase are well grounded. In light of climate change and the Paris
Agreement, the industry is at a crucial point in regards to the choice of fuel that will
power the shipping industry in the future. Delegates need to research into the different
types of fuels that are currently being used in the industry and possible alternatives
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that exist. What are the costs and benefits of each one and which ones will be the
Climate change has made the need for regulations necessary and thus the
future use of heavy fuel oil with high sulphur content is unsustainable for the
foreseeable future. Liquified natural gas (LNG), and diesel, contrary to popular belief
are most likely not a viable solution either. Environmental impacts of fuel consumption
lay much beyond the bounds of simply fuel combustion. To understand the extent of
its far reaching impacts, it is crucial to consider the full life-cycle of a fuel and the
emissions released in various stages over the life cycle. These might include emissions
related to manufacturing or growing of the fuel, distribution of the fuel, use of the
fuel, and lastly the disposal of the fuel. If all of these stages are not considered when
drafting regulations and policies, it might mislead the industry into the use of fuels
Possible fuels to be researched are diesel, Liquid natural gas (LNG), methanol,
hydrogen with carbon capture storage and without carbon capture storage, renewable
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Suggested Further Reading
After reading this study guide, delegates should have knowledge on the
history of the shipping industry, and a selection of important questions that needs to
be answered by the end of the conference. The next step is to research your assigned
nation’s policies and official stances on these matters, review the current challenges
of the topic, and brainstorm innovative solutions that will solve the current problems
Given that this is a topic of the Director’s own creation, it will be difficult to do
independent research on the topic at large; typing “Reducing Pollution by Ships” into
an online search engine will yield few helpful results. Delegates should instead
approach the topic from multiple angles to gain multiple perspectives on the issue.
ships. Delegates may wish to look up basic concepts in pollutions, as well as ones
pertinent to shipping industry. Notes from free online shipping and pollution courses
or even university- level shipping and pollution courses can be found online through
effective searches. Additionally, there have been many academic studies published
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Second, delegates should dive deeper into subtopics they deem relevant. For
they should thoroughly look at UN and IMO resources on Atmospheric and the global
framework for approaching it. Alternatively, delegates may wish to find case studies
and analyze them through the lens of pollution and oceans, to illuminate past problems
The challenge of this committee is to solve the problem within the IMO’s
framework. While the topic could be approached from many angles, delegates are
somewhat restricted by the IMO’s powers and organizational mandate. Delegates are
thus strongly encouraged to research the IMO itself, and to look for any edibility in its
mandate. This can be done through looking at past IMO resolutions, publications, and
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QARMAs
resolutions, delegates should avoid treating this particular list as exhaustive, and they
are instead encouraged to go above and beyond the demands of these questions in
order to develop truly well-rounded and effective responses to the effects of climate
change on human health and marines life. We would especially encourage delegates
1. How can IMO encourage member states to work closely with non-state
actors?
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Cruise Ships Can Cause Marine Pollution. Retrieved August 16, 2018, from
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cruise-ships-can- cause-marine-pollution/
Mitigating Global Shipping Emissions. 16, 2nd ser., 143- 154. Retrieved
https://www.jstor.org/stable/24590915?seq=1#page_scan_tab_co ntents.
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Laval, A. (2013). Bilge water compliance issues. White Book,2-6.
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