A/RES/62/215 77. Calls upon States to ensure that masters on ships flying their flag take the steps required by relevant instruments 39 to provide assistance to persons in distress at sea, and urges States to cooperate and to take all necessary measures to ensure the effective implementation of the amendments to the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue 40 and to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 41 relating to the delivery of persons rescued at sea to a place of safety, as well as of the associated Guidelines on the Treatment of Persons Rescued at Sea; 42 38F 39F 40F 41F 78. Urges flag States without an effective maritime administration and appropriate legal frameworks to establish or enhance the necessary infrastructure, legislative and enforcement capabilities to ensure effective compliance with, and implementation and enforcement of, their responsibilities under international law and, until such action is taken, to consider declining the granting of the right to fly their flag to new vessels, suspending their registry or not opening a registry, and calls upon flag and port States to take all measures consistent with international law necessary to prevent the operation of substandard vessels; 79. Welcomes the audits that have been completed pursuant to the Voluntary International Maritime Organization Member State Audit Scheme 43 and the Code for the implementation of mandatory International Maritime Organization instruments, 44 and encourages all flag States to volunteer to be audited; 42F 43F IX Marine environment and marine resources 80. Emphasizes once again the importance of the implementation of Part XII of the Convention in order to protect and preserve the marine environment and its living marine resources against pollution and physical degradation, and calls upon all States to cooperate and take measures consistent with the Convention, directly or through competent international organizations, for the protection and preservation of the marine environment; 81. Notes the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, including the finding that, while the effects of observed ocean acidification on the marine biosphere are as yet undocumented, the progressive acidification of oceans is expected to have negative impacts on marine shell-forming organisms and their dependent species, and in this regard encourages States to urgently pursue further research on ocean acidification, especially programmes of observation and measurement; 82. Encourages States, individually or in collaboration with relevant international organizations and bodies, to enhance their scientific activity to better understand the effects of climate change on the marine environment and marine biodiversity and develop ways and means of adaptation; _______________ 39 The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979, as amended, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982, and the International Convention on Salvage, 1989. 40 International Maritime Organization, document MSC/78/26/Add.1, annex 5, resolution MSC.155(78). 41 Ibid., annex 3, resolution MSC.153(78). 42 International Maritime Organization, document MSC/78/26/Add.2, annex 34, resolution MSC.167(78). 43 International Maritime Organization, Assembly resolution A.974(24). 44 International Maritime Organization, Assembly resolution A.973(24). 15