1973 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and the 1978 Protocol

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (ICCPS 73/78) is the treaty governing the prevention of pollution of the marine environment caused by ships from accidental or routine operational cases. The 1978 Protocol to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships was enacted before the entry into force of the Convention, due to issues from tanker incidents in 1976 to 1977. As a result, the Protocol absorbed the parent Convention. The Convention embodies regulations for preventing and minimizing pollution from ships, both accidental and resulting from routine operations. As of March 2021, it includes six technical annexes, namely:

1. Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil
2. Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk
3. Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form
4. Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships
5. Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships
6. Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships

On the other hand, the Parties to the Protocol have undertaken to give effect to the Protocol, as well as to the portions of the Convention not modified by the Protocol.