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The International Maritime Organization (IMO), formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO), is a late 20th century creation.






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Headquartersoftheinternationalmaritimeorganisation
International Maritime Organization Building London Across the Thames 240404
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO), is a late 20th century creation. The Convention which established the IMCO was adopted in Geneva in 1948, but it only came into force ten years later; and the new Organization met for the first time the following year in 1959. The IMCO name was changed to IMO in 1982.

Headquartered in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, the IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations with 168 Member States and three Associate Members. The IMO promotes cooperation among governments and the shipping industry to improve maritime safety and to prevent marine pollution. IMO is governed by an Assembly of members and is financially administered by a Council of members elected from the Assembly. The work of IMO is conducted through five committees and these are supported by technical subcommittees. Member organizations of the UN organizational family may observe the proceedings of the IMO. Observer status may be granted to qualified non-governmental organizations.

The IMO is supported by a permanent secretariat of employees who are representative of its members. The secretariat is composed of a Secretary-General who is periodically elected by the Assembly, and various divisions such as those for marine safety, environmental protection, and a conference section.

History

The IMCO was formed in response to the Titanic event. The organization was "put on the back burner" when World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 broke out. After the war ended, IMCO was revived and produced a group of regulations concerning shipbuilding and safety called Safety of Life at Sea
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

The Safety of Life at Sea is the most important treaty protecting the safety of merchant ships. The first version of the treaty was passed in 1914 in response to the sinking of the RMS Titanic....
 (SOLAS). Through the years, SOLAS has been modified and upgraded to adapt to changes in technology and lessons learned.

IMO regularly enacts regulations, which are broadly enforced by national and local maritime authorities in member countries, such as the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 are published by the International Maritime Organization , and set out the "rules of the road" to be followed by ships and other vessels at sea....
 (COLREG). The IMO has also enacted a Port State Control
Port State Control

Port State Control is the inspection of foreign ships in other national ports by PSC officers for the purpose of verifying that the competency of the master and officers onboard, the condition of a ship and its equipment comply with the requirements of international conventions and that the vessel is manned and operated in compliance with...
 (PSC) authority, allowing domestic maritime authorities such as coast guard
Coast guard

A coast guard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries....
s to inspect foreign-flag ships calling at ports of the many port states. Memoranda of Understanding (protocols) were signed by some countries unifying Port State Control procedures among the signatories.

Legal instruments

IMO is the source of approximately 60 legal instruments that guide the regulatory development of its member states to improve safety at sea, facilitate trade among seafaring states and protect the maritime environment. The most well known is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

The Safety of Life at Sea is the most important treaty protecting the safety of merchant ships. The first version of the treaty was passed in 1914 in response to the sinking of the RMS Titanic....
 (SOLAS).

Current issues

Recent initiatives at the IMO have included amendments to SOLAS
SOLAS

The Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study or Surface Ocean - Lower Atmosphere Study is an international scientific research initiative that is one of the core projects of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme....
, which upgraded fire protection standards on passenger ship
Passenger ship

A passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo ship which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters once common on the seas in which the transport of passengers is secondary to the carriage of freight....
s, the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW)
STCW

The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers , 1978, as amended, sets qualification standards for Master Mariner, officers and watch personnel on seagoing Cargo ship....
 which establishes basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers and to the Convention on the Prevention of Maritime Pollution (MARPOL 73/78
MARPOL 73/78

Marpol 73/78 is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978.Marpol 73/78 is one of the most important international marine international environmental laws....
), which required double hulls on all tankers
Tanker (ship)

A tank ship or tankship, often referred to as a tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in Bulk liquids. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier....
. All these initiatives were instigated by representatives of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 before the IMO.

In December 2002, new amendments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention were enacted. These amendments gave rise to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code
International Ship and Port Facility Security Code

The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code is an amendment to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea on minimum security arrangements for ships, ports and government agencies....
, which went into effect on 1 July 2004. The concept of the code is to provide layered and redundant defenses against smuggling, terrorism, piracy, stowaways, etc. The ISPS Code required most ships and port facilities engaged in international trade to establish and maintain strict security procedures as specified in ship and port specific Ship Security Plans and Port Facility Security Plans.

The IMO is also responsible for publishing the International Code of Signals
International Code of Signals

The International Code of Signals is a signal code to be used by merchant and naval vessels to communicate important messages about the state of a vessel and the intent of its master or commander when there are language barriers....
 for use between merchant and naval vessels.

The First Intersessional Meeting of IMO’s Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships is currently taking place in Oslo, Norway (23-27 June, 2008), tasked with developing the technical basis for the reduction mechanisms that may form part of a future IMO regime to control greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas

Greenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that Absorption and Emission radiation within the Infrared#Different regions in the infrared range....
 emissions from international shipping, and a draft of the actual reduction mechanisms themselves, for further consideration by IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).

Secretary-General

The current Secretary-General is Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, elected for a four-year term on 18 June 2003. On 9 November 2006 at the ninety-seventh session of the IMO Council, Mr. Mitropoulos' mandate was renewed for a further four years until 31 December 2011.

Member states

The list of member and associate member states is followed by the year of joining the IMO.
CountryYear
1993
1963
1977
1986
1953
1952
1975
1995
1976
1976
1976
1970
1951
1990
1980
1987
1993
1963
1984
1960
1951
1961
1961
1948
1976
1972
1973
1974
2001
1975
2008
1981
1960
1992
1966
1973
1993
1973
1959
1979
1979
1953
1956
1958
1981
1972
1993
1992
1975
1983
1959
1952
1976
1979
1993
1959
1959
1958
1998
1983
1975
1977
1980
1953
1954
1970
1960
1959
1961
1958
1973
1951
1952
1957
1976
1958
1973
1994
1973
2003
1960
1993
1966
1959
1970
1995
1991
1961
1989
1971
1967
1966
1998
1961
1978
1954
2001
1989
1996
2006
1962
1979
1994
1979
1949
1960
1982
1962
1986
1958
1974
1958
1958
1976
1993
1968
1964
1960
1976
1977
1993
1965
1958
2001
1980
1981
1996
2002
1990
1969
1960
2000
1978
1973
1966
1993
1993
1988
1978
1995
1962
1962
1972
1974
1976
1959
1955
1963
1974
1973
2005
1983
2000
1965
1963
1958
1993
2004
1994
1980
1949
1950
1968
1986
1975
1984
1979
2005


Associate Members
CountryYear
China
People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
1967
China
People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
1990
Denmark
Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
2002


See also

  • IMDG code
    IMDG code

    IMDG Code or International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code is accepted as an international guideline to the safe transportation or shipment of dangerous goods or hazardous materials by water on vessel....
     for the carriage of dangerous goods at sea
  • Supply chain security
    Supply chain security

    Supply chain security refers to efforts to enhance the security of the supply chain: the transport and logistics system for the world's cargo. It combines traditional practices of supply chain management with the security requirements of the system, which are driven by threats such as terrorism, piracy, and theft....


External links