1 Every ship to which this Annex applies shall be provided with a Cargo Record Book, whether as part of the ship’s official log-book or otherwise, in the form specified in appendix 2 to this Annex.

2 After completion of any operation specified in appendix 2 to this Annex, the operation shall be promptly recorded in the Cargo Record Book.

3 In the event of an accidental discharge of a noxious liquid substance or a mixture containing such a substance or a discharge under the provisions of regulation 3 of this Annex, an entry shall be made in the Cargo Record Book stating the circumstances of, and the reason for, the discharge.

4 Each entry shall be signed by the officer or officers in charge of the operation concerned and each page shall be signed by the master of the ship. The entries in the Cargo Record Book, for ships holding an International Pollution Prevention Certificate for the Carriage of Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk or a certificate referred to in regulation 7 of this Annex, shall be at least in English, French or Spanish. Where entries in an official national language of the State whose flag the ship is entitled to fly are also used, this shall prevail in case of a dispute or discrepancy.

5 The Cargo Record Book shall be kept in such a place as to be readily available for inspection and, except in the case of unmanned ships under tow, shall be kept on board the ship. It shall be retained for a period of three years after the last entry has been made.

6 The competent authority of the Government of a Party may inspect the Cargo Record Book on board any ship to which this Annex applies while the ship is in its port, and may make a copy of any entry in that book and may require the master of the ship to certify that the copy is a true copy of such entry. Any copy so made which has been certified by the master of the ship as a true copy of an entry in the ship’s Cargo Record Book shall be made admissible in any judicial proceedings as evidence of the facts stated in the entry. The inspection of a Cargo Record Book and the taking of a certified copy by the competent authority under this paragraph shall be performed as expeditiously as possible without causing the ship to be unduly delayed.