Radioactive Waste Disposal at Sea: Public Ideas ... - IMO

100 Chapter 6
distinction between “general permits” and “special permits” was made. 30
In addition, dumping of a number of substances was directly prohibited.
Importantly, disagreement as to whether radioactive waste should be regulated
by the convention had emerged. Draft articles put mentions of
radioactive wastes in brackets, indicating that the issue was unresolved. 31
“North-South” conflicts did not significantly influence the Ottawa session.
Anticipating the coming conflict, Spain recognized among several
identified “duties of international cooperation” the need for assistance from
“states at higher levels of technological and scientific development” to states
that would request it (A/CONF.48/IWGMP.II/5, Annex 4, paragraph 11).
Time did not permit discussion of this principle.
The Reykjavik Session
The Ottawa session had decided that the IWGMP should meet again and
should attempt to draft a convention on ocean dumping before the
Stockholm conference. In the words of the meeting report, the session held
in Reykjavik on April 10–15 , 1972, was convened “in the hope that agreement
on concrete global action might be reached before the [Stockholm
conference]” (“Report of the Intergovernmental Meeting on Ocean
Dumping,” IMOD/4 (April 15, 1972), p. 2). Because regional cooperation
appeared unlikely in view of the complexity of the problems and the short
time available for negotiation, the meeting was convened under the more
indicative working title “Intergovernmental Meeting on Ocean Dumping.”
It was attended by representatives from 29 states and by observers from the
FAO, the IMCO, and the IAEA. 32
The meeting established a drafting group, which was presented with a
negotiation text consisting of the draft convention proposed by the United
States, draft articles produced at the previous meeting, the Oslo
Convention, and draft articles proposed by Canada. To prevent pollution
of the sea, the United States suggested that “the Parties pledge themselves
to take all feasible steps.” The Oslo Convention and the text from the previous
meeting agreed that “the Contracting Parties pledge themselves to
take all possible steps.” Canada proposed that “Parties pledge themselves
to prevent the pollution of the sea” (“Composite Articles on Dumping
from Vessels at Sea,” Canadian Delegation, April 7, 1972). After considering
the various drafts and the proposal of the drafting group, the meeting
reached agreement on this formulation of article 1: “Each Party pledges