March 24, 2006 - The Honourable
Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Environment is pleased
to announce that a significant milestone for the
protection of the international marine environment
has been reached today with the entry into force
of the London Protocol. As a result of a recent
surge of ratifications in recent months, and finally
the ratification by Mexico in February 2006, the
Protocol officially enters into force today.
The Government of Canada was very active in the
negotiations of the London Protocol and became a
Party to the London Protocol on May 15, 2000. Canada
implements its obligations under the Protocol through
the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and its
regulations. This Protocol is one of several international
agreements to which Canada belongs that protect
the environment and reduce pollution. Protecting
the health of our oceans also supports Canada’s
Ocean Action Plan.
“This represents key progress towards the Government
of Canada’s objective of protecting our three oceans
from environmental damage,” said Minister Ambrose.
“The Government of Canada remains committed to protecting
Canada’s waterways and oceans and will continue
to work internationally to ensure that the oceans
and water that we all share are conserved and protected.”
The 1996 Protocol represents a major change of approach
to the question of how to regulate the use of the
sea as a depository for waste materials in that,
in essence, dumping is prohibited, except for materials
on an approved list. This contrasts with the previous
Convention which permitted dumping of wastes at
sea, except for those materials on a banned list.
Key features of the London
Protocol
The 1996 London Protocol (officially
entitled the 1996 Protocol to the Convention on
the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of
Wastes and Other Matter) reflects a more modern
and comprehensive agreement on protecting the marine
environment from dumping activities and reflects
the broader aims to protect the environment in general
emanating from the 1992 Earth Summit. The Protocol
introduces what is known as the "precautionary
approach" as a general obligation. This requires
that "appropriate preventative measures” are
taken when there is reason to believe that wastes
introduced into the marine environment are likely
to cause harm. The Protocol also states that "the
polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of
pollution" and it emphasizes that Contracting
Parties shall act so that the implementation of
the Protocol should not simply result in pollution
being transferred from one part of the environment
to another. Also, the 1996 Protocol’s geographical
coverage is wider, as it also governs storage of
wastes in the seabed, as well as the abandonment,
or toppling, of offshore installations.
The International Maritime Organization is the United
Nations specialized agency with responsibility for
the safety and security of shipping and the prevention
of marine pollution by ships.
For more information about the International Maritime
Organization, please visit the following web site:
http://www.imo.org/index.htm
For more information about the London Convention,
please visit the following web site: http://www.londonconvention.org
