Criteria for entry into force of BWM Convention not yet reached due to insufficient tonnage despite recent ratifications
Following the spate of ratifications in November 2015 of the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, IMO and partner IHS Maritime & Trade have been engaged in a process to verify tonnage figures to ascertain whether or not the convention’s final entry-into-force requirement has been met.
Although that process is not yet complete, and will continue for up to three more weeks, IMO is in a position to confirm that the November ratifications did not trigger the convention’s entry into force.
Forty-seven countries have now ratified the convention, substantially more than the 30 required, but their combined fleets comprise, at most, 34.56 per cent of global tonnage, with 35 per cent required for entry into force.
Shipowners have been encouraged to install the necessary equipment and establish operational procedures in accordance with IMO regulations and standards, so that the BWM Convention can be implemented rapidly and effectively upon entry into force. Amendments to the Convention, to be implemented after it enters into force, will be considered at the next meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, in April, 2016.
