IMO

WHAT IT IS
Because of the international nature of the shipping industry, it had long been recognized that
action to improve safety in maritime operations would be more effective if carried out at an
international level rather than by individual countries acting unilaterally and without co-ordination
with others.
It was against this background that a conference held by the United Nations in 1948 adopted a
convention establishing the International Maritime Organization (IMO)1 as the first ever
international body devoted exclusively to maritime matters.
In the 10-year period between the adoption of the convention and its entry into force in 1958,
other problems related to safety but requiring slightly different emphases had attracted international
attention. One of the most important of these was the threat of marine pollution from ships,
particularly pollution by oil carried in tankers. An international convention on this subject was
actually adopted in 1954, and responsibility for administering and promoting it was assumed by
IMO in January 1959. From the very beginning, the improvement of maritime safety and the
prevention of marine pollution have been IMOs most important objectives.
The Organization is the only United Nations specialized agency to have its headquarters in the
United Kingdom. Its governing body, the Assembly, meets once every two years. Between
sessions, the Council acts as IMO's governing body.
IMO is a technical organization and most of its work is carried out in a number of committees and
subcommittees. The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) is the most senior of these.
The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) was established by the Assembly in
November 1973. It is responsible for co-ordinating the Organization's activities in the prevention
and control of pollution of the marine environment from ships.
There are a number of sub-committees whose titles indicate the subjects they deal with: Safety of
Navigation (NAV); Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR); Training and
Watchkeeping (STW); Carriage of Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers (DSC); Ship
Design and Equipment (DE); Fire Protection (FP); Stability and Load Lines and Fishing Vessel
Safety (SLF); Flag State Implementation (FSI); and Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG).
The Legal Committee was originally established to deal with the legal problems arising from the
Torrey Canyon accident of 1967, but it was subsequently made a permanent committee. It is
responsible for considering any legal matters within the scope of the Organization.
The Technical Co-operation Committee is responsible for co-ordinating the work of the
Organization in the provision of technical assistance in the maritime field, in particular to
developing countries.
The Facilitation Committee is responsible for IMO's activities and functions relating to the
facilitation of international maritime traffic. These are aimed at reducing the formalities and

simplifying the documentation required of ships when entering or leaving ports or other terminals.
All the committees of IMO are open to participation by all Member Governments on an equal basis.
The IMO Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, who is assisted by a staff of some 300
international civil servants. The Secretary-General is appointed by the Council, with the approval of
the Assembly.
WHAT IT DOES
IMO has promoted the adoption of some 40 conventions and protocols and adopted well over
800 codes and recommendations concerning maritime safety, the prevention of pollution and
related matters.
Safety
The first conference organized by IMO in 1960 was, appropriately enough, concerned with
maritime safety. That conference adopted the International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS), which came into force in 1965, replacing a version adopted in 1948. The 1960 SOLAS
Convention covered a wide range of measures designed to improve the safety of shipping. They
included subdivision and stability; machinery and electrical installations; fire protection, detection
and extinction; life-saving appliances; radiotelegraphy and radiotelephony; safety of navigation;
carriage of grain; carriage of dangerous goods; and nuclear ships.
IMO adopted a new version of SOLAS in 1974. This incorporated amendments adopted to the
1960 Convention as well as other changes, including an improved amendment procedure under
which amendments adopted by the MSC would enter into force on a predetermined date unless
they were objected to by a specific number of States. The 1974 SOLAS Convention entered into
force on 25 May 1980 and has since been modified on a number of occasions, to take account of
technical advances and changes in the industry.
Other safety-related conventions adopted by IMO include the International Convention on Load
Lines, 1966 (an update of a previous, 1930, convention); the International Convention on
Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969; the Convention on International Regulations for
Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG), 1972,which made traffic separation schemes adopted
by IMO mandatory and considerably reduced the number of collisions in many areas; and the
International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979.
In 1976 IMO adopted the Convention on the International Maritime Satellite Organization
(Inmarsat) and its Operating Agreement. The Convention came into force in July 1979 and
resulted in the establishment of the Inmarsat Organization, which, like IMO, is based in London.
Fishing is so different from other forms of maritime activity that hardly any of the conventions of
IMO could be made directly applicable to fishing vessels. The 1977 Torremolinos International
Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels was intended to remedy some of these problems,
but technical difficulties meant that the Convention never entered into force. It was modified by a
protocol in 1993.
IMO has always attached the utmost importance to the training of ships' personnel. In 1978 the
Organization convened a conference which adopted the first ever International Convention on
Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. The Convention
entered into force in April 1984. It established, for the first time, internationally acceptable
minimum standards for crews. It was revised in 1995, giving IMO the power to audit the
administrative, training and certification procedures of Parties to the Convention. The amendments
entered into force in 1997.

Preventing pollution... providing compensation

Although the 1954 Oil Pollution Convention was amended in 1962, the wreck of the Torrey
Canyon in 1967 resulted in a series of conventions and other instruments, including further
amendments to the 1954 Convention which were adopted in 1969.
The International Convention relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil
Pollution Casualties, 1969, which established the right of coastal States to intervene in incidents
on the high seas which are likely to result in oil pollution, entered into force in 1975. The
International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, 1969, and the
International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation
for Oil Pollution Damage, 1971, together established a regime to provide compensation to
victims of oil pollution.
In 1971 the 1954 Oil Pollution Convention was amended again, but it was generally felt that a
completely new instrument was required to control pollution of the seas from ships, and in 1973
IMO convened a major conference to discuss the whole problem of marine pollution from ships. It
resulted in the adoption of the first ever comprehensive anti-pollution convention, the
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).
The MARPOL Convention deals not only with pollution by oil, but also pollution from chemicals,
other harmful substances, garbage and sewage. It greatly reduces the amount of oil which may be
discharged into the sea by ships, and bans such discharges completely in certain areas.
In 1978, IMO convened the Conference on Tanker Safety and Pollution Prevention, which adopted
a protocol to the 1973 MARPOL Convention introducing further measures, including requirements
for certain operational techniques and a number of modified constructional requirements. The
Protocol of 1978 relating to the 1973 MARPOL Convention in effect absorbs the parent
Convention with modifications. This combined instrument is commonly referred to as MARPOL
73/78 and entered into force in October 1983. The Convention has been amended on several
occasions since then.
In 1990 IMO adopted the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response
and Co-operation (OPRC). It is designed to improve the ability of nations to cope with a sudden
emergency. It entered into force in May 1995.
In 1996 IMO adopted the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for
Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea. The
Convention establishes a two-tier system for providing compensation up to a total of around 250
million. It covers not only pollution aspects but other risks such as fire and explosion.
IMO carries out Secretariat functions in connection with the Convention on the Prevention of
Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972 (London Convention). It
entered into force in 1975. The Convention prohibits the disposal of certain substances which are
known to be particularly harmful and contains specific regulations concerning the dumping of
several other materials which may present a risk to the marine environment and human health.
Other matters
In 1965 IMO adopted the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic. Its
primary objectives are to prevent unnecessary delays in maritime traffic, to aid co-operation
between Governments, and to secure the highest practicable degree of uniformity in formalities and
procedures in connection with the arrival, stay and departure of ships at ports. The Convention
came into force in 1967.
In 1971 IMO, in association with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European

Nuclear Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, convened a
conference which adopted the Convention relating to Civil Liability in the Field of Maritime
Carriage of Nuclear Material.
In 1974 IMO adopted the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their
Luggage by Sea, which established a regime of liability for damage suffered by passengers carried
on seagoing vessels.
The general question of the liability of owners of ships was dealt with in a convention adopted in
1957. In 1976 IMO adopted a new Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims,
which raised the limits, in some cases by 300%. Limits are specified for two types of claim - those
for loss of life or personal injury and property claims, such as damage to ships, property or
harbour works.
In 1988 the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime
Navigation was adopted. It is intended to improve measures for dealing with incidents such as
terrorist attacks on commercial shipping. It entered into force in March 1992.
For most of the century, salvage at sea has been based on a formula known as no cure, no pay.
While it has been successful in most cases, the formula does not take pollution into account: a
salvor who prevents massive pollution damage but does not save the ship and its cargo can expect
no compensation. The 1989 International Convention on Salvage was adopted to remedy this
defect. It ,|| entered into force in July 1996.

IMO's codes & recommendations

In addition to conventions and other formal treaty instruments, IMO has adopted several hundred
recommendations dealing with a wide range of subjects.
Some of these constitute codes, guidelines or recommended practices on important matters not
considered suitable for regulation by formal treaty instruments. Although recommendations whether in the form of codes or otherwise - are not usually binding on Governments, they provide
guidance in framing national regulations and requirements. Many Governments do in fact apply the
provisions of the recommendations by incorporating them, in whole or in part, into national
legislation or regulations. In some cases, important codes have been made mandatory by including
appropriate references in a convention.
In appropriate cases, the recommendations may incorporate further requirements which have been
found to be useful or necessary in the light of experience gained in the application of the previous
provisions. In other cases the recommendations clarify various questions which arise in connection
with specific measures and thereby ensure their uniform interpretation and application in all
countries.
Examples of the principal recommendations, codes, etc., adopted over the years are:
International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code - first adopted in 1965); Code of Safe
Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes (BC Code - 1965); International Code of Signals (all functions in
respect of the Code were assumed by the Organization in 1965); Code for the Construction and
Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (BCH Code - 1971); Code of Safe
Practice for Ships Carrying Timber Deck Cargoes (1973); Code of Safety for Fishermen and
Fishing Vessels (1974); Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied
Gases in Bulk (1975); Code of Safety for Dynamically Supported Craft (1977); Code for the

Construction and Equipment of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODU Code - 1979); Code on
Noise Levels on Board Ships (1981); Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships (1981); Code of
Safety for Special Purpose Ships (1983); International Gas Carrier Code (IGC Code - 1983);2
International Bulk Chemicals Code (IBC Code - 1983);3 Code of Safety for Diving Systems (1983);
International Code for the Safe Carriage of Grain in Bulk (International Grain Code - 1991);2
International Safety Management Code (ISM Code - 1993);4 International Code of Safety for HighSpeed Craft (HSC Code - 1994 and 2000);5 International Life-Saving Appliance Code (LSA Code 1996);5 International Code for Application of Fire Test Procedures (FTP Code - 1996);5 Technical
Code on Control of Emission of Nitrogen Oxides from Marine Diesel Engines (NOX Technical
Code - 1997).
Other important recommendations have dealt with such matters as traffic separation schemes
(which separate ships moving in opposite directions by creating a central prohibited area); the
adoption of technical manuals such as the Standard Marine Navigational Vocabulary, the
International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual (jointly with the
International Civil Aviation Organization) and the Manual on Oil Pollution; crew training;
performance standards for shipborne equipment; and many other matters. There are also
guidelines to help the implementation of particular conventions and instruments.
Technical assistance
The purpose of the technical assistance programme is to help States, many of them developing
countries, to ratify IMO conventions and to reach the standards contained in the SOLAS
Convention and other instruments. As part of this programme, a number of ^^ advisers and
consultants are employed by IMO to i<F* give advice to Governments, and each year the
Organization arranges or participates in numerous seminars, workshops and other events which are
designed to assist in the implementation of IMO measures. Some are held at IMO headquarters or
in developed countries, others in the developing countries themselves.
In 1977, recognizing how important it was to secure better implementation of the instruments it
adopted, the Organization took steps to institutionalize its Technical Co-operation Committee - the
first United Nations body to do so.
A key element of the technical assistance programme is training. IMO measures can only be
implemented effectively if those responsible are fully trained, and MO has helped to develop or
improve maritime training academies in many countries around the world. Some of them cater
purely for national needs. Others have been developed to deal with the requirements of a region - a
very useful approach where the demand for trained personnel in individual countries is not
sufficient to justify the considerable financial outlay needed to establish such institutions. MO has
also developed a series of model courses for use in training academies.
While IMO supplies the expertise for these projects, the finance comes from various sources. The
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the most important of these, with other
international bodies such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) contributing in
some cases. Individual countries also provide generous funds or help in other ways - for example,
by providing training opportunities for cadets and other personnel from developing countries. This
has enabled IMO to build up a successful fellowship programme which, over the years, has helped
to train many thousands of people.
The most ambitious of all IMOs technical assistance projects is the World Maritime University in
Malm, Sweden, which opened in 1983. Its objective is to provide high-level training facilities for
people from developing countries who have already reached a relatively high standard in their own
countries but who would benefit from further intensive training. The University can train about 200
students at a time on one- or two-year courses.
The other maritime training centres associated with the Organizations technical assistance

programme are the IMO Maritime Law Institute, in Malta, and the International Maritime Academy,
in Italy.
HOW IT WORKS
IMO works through a number of specialist committees and sub-committees. All of these bodies
are composed of representatives of Member States. Formal arrangements for co-operation have
been established with more than 30 inter-governmental organizations, while nearly 50 nongovernmental international organizations have been granted consultative status to participate in the
work of various bodies in an observer capacity. These organizations represent a wide spectrum of
maritime, legal and environmental interests and they contribute to the work of the various organs
and committees through the provision of information, documentation and expert advice. However,
none of these organizations has a vote.
The initial work on a convention is normally done by a committee or sub-committee; a draft
instrument is produced, which is submitted to a conference to which delegations from all States
within the United Nations system - including States which may not be IMO Members - are invited.
The conference adopts a final text, which is submitted to Governments for ratification.
An instrument so adopted comes into force after fulfilling certain requirements, which always
include ratification by a specified number of countries. Generally speaking, the more important the
convention the more stringent are the requirements for entry into force. Implementation of the
requirements of a convention is mandatory on countries which are parties to it. Codes and
recommendations which are adopted by the IMO Assembly are not binding on Governments;
however, their contents can be just as important, and in many cases they are implemented by
Governments through incorporation into domestic legislation