The benefits of ratifying and implementing the London Protocol (LP) for protecting the marine environment from pollution were on the agenda for Colombian officials during a national seminar in Bogota, Colombia (6-7 November).
Protecting the oceans from dumping of wastes at sea depends on full implementation of the LP, including development of national systems for assessing, permitting, monitoring and enforcement of disposal at sea activities. The Protocol entered into force in 2006 and prohibits all dumping at sea, other than when explicitly permitted under the terms of the treaty.
More than 50 senior officials from a wide range of national authorities and agencies, as well as other relevant stakeholders, covered the key legal, technical and administrative matters to support implementation of the treaty.
Participants were provided with an introduction to the Protocol as a legal framework for marine pollution management and considered possible barriers to ratification and implementation. The establishment of national systems for monitoring, assessment, compliance and enforcement, and possible next steps for future coordination and cooperation were discussed.
The workshop was hosted by the Maritime Authority of Colombia and delivered through IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP). It is part of IMO's continuous efforts to support UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (life below water), with a view to creating awareness and dialogue around specific ocean governance issues.
Click for brochure: 'The London Protocol: what it is and why it is needed'
