The London Convention 1972: Preparing for the Future

This article examines the accomplishments and the future of the London Convention 1972 after the adoption of the 1996 Protocol. The 1996 Protocol contains an entirely new convention including the recent amendments to the London Convention, as well as going several steps further in adopting a reverse listing approach and in providing incentives for developing countries to join the regime. The importance of the London Convention has been enhanced through the coming into force of the LOS Convention, which requires parties to adopt legislation on ocean dumping at least as effective as the provisions of the London Convention. As shown by the proceedings of the first Consultative Meeting of the Parties since the adoption of the Protocol, there is still much to be done to protect the marine environment from the possible deleterious effects of ocean dumping. Not only do the parties still have to adopt guidelines to assess the impact and acceptability of substances on objects still permitted to be dumped, but also there remains a possibility of restricting further items. OSPAR Conventions are more restrictive, for example, in prohibiting the dumping of vessels of offshore installations.