SOLAS covers safety of life at sea and MARPOL covers pollution from ships

Background

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships, while the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships. SOLAS, 1974 was adopted on 1 November 1974 and entered into force on 25 May 1980. The MARPOL Convention was adopted on 2 November 1973, with a 1978 Protocol and a 1997 Protocol that added a new Annex VI. MARPOL's Annexes I and II entered into force on 2 October 1983. Annex I carries the Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil, and Annex II the Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk.