London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter

Annex III lays out general technical factors to be considered in establishing criteria for issuance of ocean dumping permits.

[3] Since its entering into force in 1975, the convention has provided a framework for international control and prevention of marine pollution within which the contracting parties have achieved continuous progress in keeping the oceans clean.

A scientific group on dumping, composed of government experts from the parties to the convention a responsible to address any scientific requests from the consultative meeting, including the preparation of lists of hazardous substances, developing guide-lines on the implementation of the convention, and maintaining awareness of the impacts on the marine environments of inputs from all waste sources.

In line with UNCED's Agenda 21, the 1996 Protocol reflects the global trend towards precaution and prevention with the parties agreeing to move from controlled dispersal at sea of a variety of land-generated wastes towards integrated land-based solutions for most, and controlled sea disposal of few, remaining categories of wastes or other matter.

Reflecting these principles, the protocol embodies a major structural revision of the convention the so-called "reverse list" approach.

The 1996 protocol has effectively moved the scope of the original London convention landwards, relating it to the policy and management issues of land as well as sea wastes disposal.

[5] State parties – (87 as of 2013) Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus (ratified as Byelorussian SSR), Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, People's Republic of China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan (ratified but w/ exclusion), Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Libya, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia (ratified as the Soviet Union), Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia (ratified as Serbia and Montenegro), Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tunisia, Ukraine (ratified as Ukrainian SSR), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vanuatu.

Japan's 2023 release of water from a damaged nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean raised questions for the Governing Bodies of the London Convention (LC) and its Protocol (LP) and the Fukushima District Court as to whether the action constituted dumping under Article 4.

On the other hand, the Legal Affairs Office of the International Maritime Organization said that parties to the LC/LP could decide whether protruding pipelines count as "other man-made structures at sea".