The document provides information about the International Maritime Organization (IMO): - IMO was established in 1948 by the UN to regulate international shipping. It aims to enhance maritime safety and security, and prevent pollution from ships. - IMO consists of an Assembly, Council, and five main committees dealing with maritime safety, environmental protection, legal matters, technical cooperation, and facilitation. - The committees are supported by various subcommittees. The Secretariat, led by the Secretary-General, is based in London and comprises around 300 staff. - IMO has adopted over 50 conventions covering maritime safety, security, environmental concerns, liability, facilitation and other topics to regulate international shipping.

1. IMO
INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANISATION
BY
SAZZAD ZAMAN

2. IMO – the International Maritime
Organization
 IMO was established by means of a Convention
adopted under the auspices of the United Nations in
Geneva on 17 March 1948.
 It is the United Nations specialized agency with
responsibility for the safety and security of shipping
and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.
 Shipping is a truly international industry, and it can
only operate effectively if the regulations and
standards are themselves agreed, adopted and
implemented on an international basis. And IMO is the
forum at which this process takes place.
 The IMO slogan sums up its objectives: Safe, secure
and efficient shipping on clean oceans.

3. Structure of IMO
 The Organization consists of
 an Assembly,
 a Council, and
 five main Committees:
 the Maritime Safety Committee;
 the Marine Environment Protection Committee;
 the Legal Committee;
 the Technical Cooperation Committee; and
 the Facilitation Committee
 and a number of Sub-Committees support the work of the
main technical committees.

4. Structure of IMO
 Assembly:
 This is the highest Governing Body of the
Organization.
 It consists of all Member States.
 It meets once every two years in regular sessions,
but may also meet in an extraordinary session if
necessary.
 The Assembly is responsible for approving the
work programme, voting the budget and
determining the financial arrangements of the
Organization.
 The Assembly also elects the Council.

5. Structure of IMO
 Council
 The Council is elected by the Assembly for two-year terms.
 The Council is the Executive Organ of IMO.
 It is responsible for supervising the work of the Organization.
 Other functions of the Council are to:
 coordinate the activities of the organs of the Organization;
 consider the draft work programme and budget estimates of the
Organization and submit them to the Assembly;
 receive reports and proposals of the Committees and other organs
and submit them to the Assembly and Member States, with
comments and recommendations as appropriate;
 appoint the Secretary-General, subject to the approval of the
Assembly;
 enter into agreements or arrangements concerning the
relationship of the Organization with other organizations, subject

6. Structure of IMO
 Council members for the 2016-2017 biennium
 Category (a): 10 States with the largest interest in providing
international shipping services: China, Greece, Italy, Japan,
Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, United
Kingdom, United States.
 Category (b): 10 other States with the largest interest in
international seaborne trade: Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil,
Canada, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden.
 Category (c): 20 States not elected under (a) or (b) above
which have special interests in maritime transport or
navigation, and whose election to the Council will ensure the
representation of all major geographic areas of the world:
Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt,
Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco,
Peru, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey.

7. Structure of IMO
 Maritime Safety Committee (MSC)
 The MSC is the highest technical body of the Organization.
 It consists of all Member States.
 The functions of the Maritime Safety Committee are to “consider any matter
within the scope of the Organization concerned with aids to
 navigation, construction and equipment of vessels,
 manning from a safety standpoint,
 rules for the prevention of collisions,
 handling of dangerous cargoes,
 maritime safety procedures and requirements,
 hydrographic information,
 log-books and navigational records,
 marine casualty investigations,
 salvage and rescue and any other matters directly affecting maritime
safety.
 It also has the responsibility for considering and submitting recommendations and

8. Structure of IMO
 The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC)
 The MEPC consists of all Member States.
 It is empowered to consider any matter within the scope of the
Organization concerned with prevention and control of pollution from
ships.
 Sub-Committees: The MSC and MEPC are assisted in their work by a
number of sub-committees which are also open to all Member States:
 Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watch-keeping
(HTW);
 Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments (III);
 Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue
(NCSR);
 Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR);
 Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC);
 Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE); and

9. Structure of IMO
 Legal Committee
 The Legal Committee is empowered to deal with any legal matters
within the scope of the Organization.
 The Committee consists of all Member States of IMO.
 The Legal Committee is also empowered to perform any duties within
its scope which may be assigned by or under any other international
instrument and accepted by the Organization.
 Technical Cooperation Committee
 The Technical Cooperation Committee is required to consider any
matter within the scope of the Organization concerned with the
implementation of technical cooperation projects for which the
Organization acts as the executing or cooperating agency and any
other matters related to the Organization’s activities in the technical
cooperation field.
 The Technical Cooperation Committee consists of all Member States of
IMO

10. Structure of IMO
 Facilitation Committee
 The Facilitation Committee consists of all the Member States of the
Organization.
 It deals with IMO’s work in eliminating unnecessary formalities and
“red tape” in international shipping by implementing all aspects of
the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic 1965
and any matter within the scope of the Organization concerned with
the facilitation of international maritime traffic.
 Secretariat
 The Secretariat of IMO consists of the Secretary-General and some 300
international personnel based at the headquarters of the Organization
in London.

11. Structure of IMO
 Facilitation Committee
 The Facilitation Committee consists of all the Member States of the
Organization.
 It deals with IMO’s work in eliminating unnecessary formalities and
“red tape” in international shipping by implementing all aspects of
the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic 1965
and any matter within the scope of the Organization concerned with
the facilitation of international maritime traffic.
 Secretariat
 The Secretariat of IMO consists of the Secretary-General and some 300
international personnel based at the headquarters of the Organization
in London.

12. List of IMO Conventions
 Convention on the International Maritime Organization
(Adoption: 6 March 1948; Entry in force: 17 March 1958)
 Key IMO Conventions
 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS), 1974, as amended
 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution
from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978
relating thereto and by the Protocol of 1997 (MARPOL)
 International Convention on Standards of Training,
Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers ( STCW) as
amended, including the 1995 and 2010 Manila Amendments
 Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 adopted by ILO

13. List of IMO Conventions
 Conventions relating to maritime safety and security and
ship/port interface
 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing
Collisions at Sea (COLREG), 1972
 Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic
(FAL), 1965
 International Convention on Load Lines (LL), 1966
 International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue
(SAR), 1979
 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the
Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA), 1988, and Protocol for
the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Fixed
Platforms located on the Continental Shelf (and the 2005
Protocols)
 International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), 1972

14. List of IMO Conventions
 Conventions relating to maritime safety and security and
ship/port interface
 Convention on the International Maritime Satellite Organization
(IMSO C), 1976
 The Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of
Fishing Vessels (SFV), 1977, superseded by the The 1993
Torremolinos Protocol; Cape Town Agreement of 2012 on the
Implementation of the Provisions of the 1993 Protocol relating
to the Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of
Fishing Vessels
 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification
and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F), 1995
 Special Trade Passenger Ships Agreement (STP), 1971 and
Protocol on Space Requirements for Special Trade Passenger
Ships, 1973

15. List of IMO Conventions
 Conventions relating to prevention of marine pollution
 International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in
Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties (INTERVENTION), 1969
 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of
Wastes and Other Matter (LC), 1972 (and the 1996 London Protocol)
 International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response
and Co-operation (OPRC), 1990
 Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to pollution
Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances, 2000 (OPRC-HNS
Protocol)
 International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling
Systems on Ships (AFS), 2001
 International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships'
Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004
 The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and
Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009

16. List of IMO Conventions
 Conventions covering liability and compensation
 International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage
(CLC), 1969
 1992 Protocol to the International Convention on the Establishment of
an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage
(FUND 1992)
 Convention relating to Civil Liability in the Field of Maritime Carriage
of Nuclear Material (NUCLEAR), 1971
 Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their
Luggage by Sea (PAL), 1974
 Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC),
1976
International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage
in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances
by Sea (HNS), 1996 (and its 2010 Protocol)
 International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution
Damage, 2001
 Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007

17. List of IMO Conventions
 Other Conventions
 International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships (TONNAGE), 1969
 International Convention on Salvage (SALVAGE), 1989