Parts I–II

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Montego Bay, 1982) establishes a minimum level of protection for the marine environment against pollution. To this end, it establishes the general principles of international cooperation regarding the prevention of marine pollution (from land-based or atmospheric sources, from the operation of seagoing vessels and the maritime transport of hazardous substances, from dumping, and from the exploitation of the abiotic resources of the seas, oceans, and the continental shelf), the elimination or mitigation of the effects of pollution, and the assignment of liability for marine pollution. The principles established by the Montego Bay Convention are further developed through specialized international conventions—whether universal or regional in scope—as well as through regulations adopted at the national level.