Since the last publication of the Guidelines in 1997, MEPC has made the following decisions that have resulted in amendments to the Guidelines and which are contained in this edition of the publication:

• Resolution MEPC.76(40) adopted 25 September 1997 ("Standard Specification for Shipboard Incinerators"), superseding appendix 2 of the Guidelines;
• Resolution MEPC.92(45) adopted 5 October 2000 ("Amendments to the Revised Guidelines for the Implementation of Annex V of MARPOL 73/78"), adding two new paragraphs, amending an existing paragraph and replacing Table 2 of the Guidelines;
• Resolution MEPC.93(45) adopted 5 October 2000 ("Amendments to the Standard Specification for Shipboard Incinerators"), amending the new appendix 2 of the Guidelines;
• Resolution MEPC.116(51) adopted 1 April 2004 ("Amendments to the Appendix V of MARPOL 73/78"), leading to an amendment to Table 1 of the Guidelines;
• MEPC at its fifty-third session (July 2005) issued MEPC/Circ.469, containing the revised consolidated format for reporting alleged inadequacies of port reception facilities, which hereby replaces appendix 1 of the Guidelines.