A publication entitled MARPOL: How to do it was first published by the International Maritime Organization(IMO) in 1993 to provide advice on the process of ratification, implementation and enforcement of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL 73/78).

This publication is a revised and updated version of the 1993 edition. The text relating to enforcement in chapters 4, 7 and 19 was prepared by a correspondence group of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and reviewed by MEPC 45 (2-10 October 2000). This edition supersedes the 1993 edition.

Although MARPOL 73/78 entered into force on 2 October 1983, there are still many IMO Member States that have not ratified it or all its optional Annexes. Of those countries that have already ratified MARPOL 73/78, there are many which fail to implement all the requirements of the Convention and its related Protocols.

This Manual provides useful practical information to Governments, particularly those of developing countries, on the technical, economic and legal implications of ratifying, implementing and enforcing MARPOL 73/78. The aim is to encourage the further ratification and proper implementation and enforcement of the Convention, but is should be noted that, for legal purposes, the authentic text of MARPOL 73/78 should always be consulted.

It is emphasized that the Annexes to MARPOL 73/78 are living documents that develop over time. This Manual does not attempt to be fully up to date and the reader is strongly advised to consult recent updates of the instruments through IMO documents and publications.