The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized UN agency responsible for regulating international shipping. It was established in 1948 to promote maritime safety and prevent pollution. The IMO develops international treaties and amendments to address issues like safety, environmental protection, legal matters, and more. Notable conventions include SOLAS, STCW, and MARPOL. The IMO relies on its member states to adopt and enforce its policies through national laws.

1. Brief Historyof IMO
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Brief History of IMO
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It has alwaysbeenrecognizedthatthe bestwayof improvingsafetyatseaisbydeveloping
international regulationsthatare followedbyall shippingnationsandfromthe mid-19thcentury
onwardsa numberof such treatieswere adopted.Severalcountries proposedthatapermanent
international bodyshouldbe establishedtopromote maritime safetymore effectively,butitwasnot
until the establishmentof the UnitedNationsitself thatthese hopeswere realized.In1948 an
international conference inGenevaadoptedaconventionformallyestablishingIMO(the original
name was the Inter-GovernmentalMaritime ConsultativeOrganization,orIMCO,butthe name was
changedin1982 to IMO).
The IMO Convention entered into force in 1958 and the new
Organization met for the first time the following year.
The purposesof the Organization,assummarizedbyArticle 1(a) of the Convention,are "toprovide
machineryforcooperationamongGovernmentsinthe fieldof governmental regulationand
practicesrelatingtotechnical mattersof all kindsaffectingshippingengagedininternational trade;
to encourage andfacilitate the general adoptionof the highestpracticable standardsinmatters
concerningmaritime safety,efficiencyof navigationandpreventionandcontrol of marine pollution
fromships".The Organizationisalsoempoweredtodeal withadministrative andlegal matters
relatedtothese purposes.
IMO's firsttask wasto adopt a newversionof the International Conventionforthe Safetyof Life at
Sea(SOLAS), the mostimportantof all treatiesdealingwithmaritimesafety.Thiswasachievedin
1960 and IMO thenturneditsattentiontosuch mattersas the facilitationof international maritime
traffic,loadlinesandthe carriage of dangerousgoods,while the systemof measuringthe tonnage of
shipswasrevised.
But althoughsafetywasandremainsIMO's mostimportantresponsibility,anew problembeganto
emerge - pollution.The growthinthe amountof oil beingtransportedbyseaand inthe size of oil
tankerswasof particularconcernand the TorreyCanyondisasterof 1967, inwhich120,000 tonnes
of oil wasspilled,demonstratedthe scale of the problem.
Duringthe nextfewyearsIMO introducedaseriesof measuresdesignedtopreventtankeraccidents
and to minimizetheirconsequences.Italsotackledthe environmentalthreatcausedbyroutine

2. operationssuchasthe cleaningof oil cargotanks andthe disposal of engineroomwastes - in
tonnage termsa biggermenace thanaccidental pollution.
The most importantof all these measureswasthe International Conventionforthe Preventionof
PollutionfromShips,1973, as modifiedbythe Protocol of 1978 relatingthereto(MARPOL73/78). It
coversnot onlyaccidental andoperational oil pollutionbutalsopollutionbychemicals,goodsin
packagedform,sewage,garbage andair pollution.
IMO was alsogiventhe taskof establishingasystemforprovidingcompensationtothose whohad
sufferedfinanciallyasaresultof pollution.Twotreatieswere adopted,in1969 and1971, which
enabledvictimsof oil pollutiontoobtaincompensationmuchmore simplyandquicklythanhad
beenpossiblebefore.Bothtreatieswere amendedin1992, and againin 2000, to increase the limits
of compensationpayable tovictimsof pollution.A numberof otherlegal conventionshave been
developedsince,mostof whichconcernliabilityandcompensationissues.
Alsointhe 1970s a global searchand rescue systemwasinitiated,withthe establishmentof the
International MobileSatellite Organization(IMSO),whichhasgreatlyimprovedthe provisionof
radioand othermessagestoships.
The Global Maritime DistressandSafetySystem(GMDSS) wasadoptedin1988 and begantobe
phasedinfrom1992. In February1999, the GMDSS became fullyoperational,sothatnow a shipthat
isin distressanywhereinthe worldcanbe virtuallyguaranteedassistance,evenif the ship'screw do
not have time toradio forhelp,asthe message will be transmittedautomatically.
Two initiativesinthe 1990s are especiallyimportantinsofarastheyrelate tothe humanelementin
shipping.On1 July1998 the International SafetyManagementCode enteredintoforce andbecame
applicable topassengerships,oil andchemical tankers,bulkcarriers,gascarriersandcargo high
speedcraftof 500 gross tonnage andabove.It became applicabletoothercargo shipsandmobile
offshore drillingunitsof 500 grosstonnage and above from1 July2002.
On 1 February1997, the 1995 amendmentstothe International ConventiononStandardsof
Training,CertificationandWatchkeepingforSeafarers,1978 enteredintoforce.Theygreatly
improve seafarerstandardsand,forthe firsttime,give IMOitself powerstocheckGovernment
actionswithPartiesrequiredtosubmitinformationtoIMO regardingtheircompliance withthe
Convention.A majorrevisionof the STCWConventionandCode wascompletedin2010 withthe
adoptionof the "Manilaamendmentstothe STCW ConventionandCode".
Newconventionsrelatingtothe marine environmentwere adoptedinthe 2000s, includingone on
anti-foulingsytems(AFS2001),anotheron ballastwatermanagementtopreventthe invasionof

3. alienspecies(BWM2004) andanotheron shiprecycling(HongKong InternationalConventionfor
the Safe and EnvironmentallySoundRecyclingof Ships,2009).
The 2000s alsosaw a focus onmaritime security,withthe entryintoforce inJuly2004 of a new,
comprehensive securityregimeforinternationalshipping,includingthe International ShipandPort
FacilitySecurity(ISPS) Code,made mandatoryunderamendmentstoSOLASadoptedin2002.
In 2005, IMO adoptedamendmentstothe Conventionforthe Suppressionof Unlawful Acts(SUA)
Againstthe Safetyof Maritime Navigation,1988 andits relatedProtocol (the 2005 SUA Protocols),
whichamongstotherthings,introduce the rightof a a State Party desirestoboarda shipflyingthe
flagof anotherState Partywhenthe requestingPartyhasreasonable groundstosuspectthatthe
shipor a personon boardthe shipis,hasbeen,or isaboutto be involvedin,the commissionof an
offence underthe Convention.
As IMO instrumentshave enteredintoforce andbeenimplemented,developmentsintechnology
and/orlessonslearnedfromaccidentshave ledtochangesandamendmentsbeingadopted.
The focus onimplementationcontinues,withthe technical co-operationprogrammeakeystrandof
IMO's work.
The IMO MemberState AuditScheme,whichbecame mandatoryunderanumberof keyIMO
instrumentson1 January2016, will increasinglyplayakeyrole insupportingeffective
implementationbyprovidinganauditedMemberState withacomprehensive andobjective
assessmentof howeffectivelyitadministersandimplementsthose mandatoryIMOinstruments
whichare coveredbythe Scheme.
IMO's missionstatement, :
"The missionof the International MaritimeOrganization(IMO) asa UnitedNationsspecialized
agencyis to promote safe,secure,environmentallysound,efficientandsustainable shippingthrough
cooperation.Thiswill be accomplishedbyadoptingthe highestpracticable standardsof maritime
safetyandsecurity,efficiencyof navigationandpreventionandcontrol of pollutionfromships,as
well asthroughconsiderationof the relatedlegal mattersandeffectiveimplementationof IMO’s
instrumentswithaviewtotheiruniversalanduniformapplication."
Historyof IMO

4. RelatedDocuments
1983 to 2013 - 30 yearsat IMO HeadquartersonAlbertEmbankment,London
What Is the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of
the United Nations that is responsible for measures to improve the safety
and security of international shipping and to prevent marine pollution from
ships. The IMO sets standards for the safety and security of international
shipping. It oversees every aspect of worldwide shipping regulations,
including legal issues and shipping efficiency.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
 The International Maritime Organization is an agency tasked with
improving the security and safety of international shipping.
 One of its key duties is to devise strategies and measures to keep
the waterways clean by preventing marine pollution from ships.
 The IMO’s governing body, the Assembly, meets every two years,
with the first meeting in 1959.
 The IMO is not responsible for enforcing their policies. When a
government accepts an IMO policy, it becomes a national law which
it is their responsibility to enforce.
Understanding the International Maritime Organization
(IMO)
The International Maritime Organization's objectives can be best summed
up by its slogan—"Safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans."
Basically, the IMO sets policy for international shipping, discouraging
shippers from compromising on safety, security and environmental
performance to address financial concerns, and encouraging innovation
and efficiency.
The IMO is also involved in legal issues matters pertaining to international
shipping, such as liability and compensation matters, and the facilitation of
international maritime traffic. The IMO's governing body, which is the
Assembly that is made up of all 173 member states, generally meets every
two years. The Assembly addresses items such as council elections,
deciding upon the work program, and looking at the budget.

5. To break down the workload and to ensure each area of concern of the
IMO is getting the attention it deserves, there are five committees tasked
with making policies and developing, going over, and overhauling rules
and guidelines. Those committees include the Technical Co-operation
Committee, the Maritime Safety Committee, the Marine Environmental
Protection Committee, the Legal Committee, and the Facilitation
Committee. Furthermore, there are seven sub-committees working under
these committees.
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the
International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and
Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and the International Convention for
the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) are some of the vital
International Maritime Organization treaties.
IMO’s treaty, International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, is
regarded as the most crucial treaty regarding safety at sea. The first draft
of it was adopted in 1914 following the sinking of the Titanic, before the
creation of the IMO.
Special Considerations
It's important to note that the IMO does not implement or enforce policy, in
any way. The IMO was created to adopt policy, not enforce it. When
governments accept an IMO convention, it agrees to make those policies
national law and to enforce those laws. The IMO did develop an audit
program that made audits required, effective as of January 2016.
However, there is no countermeasure available to the UN if the country is
not enforcing the policies set by the IMO. Instead, the IMO provides
feedback and advice on a country's current performance.
History of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The IMO was established by means of a convention adopted in Geneva in
1948. It entered into force in 1958, and first met in 1959. Based in the
United Kingdom, the IMO has 173 member states as of Sept. 2019. It also
has Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Intergovernmental
Organizations (IGO) as representatives. Among the organizations which
have been integral to the policy developments at the IMO is the U.S. Coast
Guard.
Beyond shipping, an IMO is also known as an independent marketing
organization. This is an organization that works with insurance companies

6. to market its products. The duties of an IMO can include other marketing
tasks, such as distribution.
IMO is also shorthand for “in my opinion.” What that means is that IMO can
simply mean someone is offering their perspective or opinion. However,
although IMO is an acronym or abbreviation, it’s also considered a slang
word that isn’t widely used in professional writing.