1 The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar
Waters has been developed to supplement existing IMO instruments in order to
increase the safety of ships' operation and mitigate the impact on the people and
environment in the remote, vulnerable and potentially harsh polar waters.
2 The Code acknowledges that polar water operation may
impose additional demands on ships, their systems and operation beyond the existing
requirements of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS),
1974, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973,
as modified by the 1978 Protocol relating thereto (MARPOL), as amended, and other
relevant binding IMO instruments.
3 The Code acknowledges that the polar waters impose
additional navigational demands beyond those normally encountered. In many areas,
the chart coverage may not currently be adequate for coastal navigation. It is
recognized even existing charts may be subject to unsurveyed and uncharted
shoals.
4 The Code also acknowledges that coastal communities in
the Arctic could be, and that polar ecosystems are, vulnerable to human activities,
such as ship operation.
5 The relationship between the additional safety
measures and the protection of the environment is acknowledged as any safety measure
taken to reduce the probability of an accident, will largely benefit the
environment.
6 While Arctic and Antarctic waters have similarities,
there are also significant differences. Hence, although the Code is intended to
apply as a whole to both Arctic and Antarctic, the legal and geographical
differences between the two areas have been taken into account.
7 The key principles for developing the Polar Code have
been to use a risk-based approach in determining scope and to adopt a holistic
approach in reducing identified risks.