International Maritime Organization (IMO)

International Maritime Organization (IMO)

Prior to the Second World War, matters relating to international shipping lacked a permanent institutional framework. Issues requiring international agreements and arrangements were addressed through ad hoc conferences convened for that purpose.

In 1889, during the well-known Washington Conference, the establishment of a permanent international maritime commission was proposed, but no practical action followed.

Subsequently, two temporary intergovernmental maritime organizations were established in 1944 and 1946. Ultimately, the second organization succeeded in drafting a convention establishing a permanent maritime organization.

This draft served as the basis for negotiations at the 1948 Geneva Conference. That conference led to the adoption of a convention establishing the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO).

After Japan, the twenty-first state to ratify the founding convention, entered into force in January 1959. IMCO thereby became the twelfth specialized agency of the United Nations.

The organization’s membership included not only traditional maritime nations but also countries that were substantially dependent on the shipping services of other states.

On 22 May 1982, the organization was renamed the International Maritime Organization. The primary objective of the International Maritime Organization is to facilitate and promote cooperation among member states on a wide range of technical matters affecting shipping.

The organization seeks to establish the highest practicable standards of maritime safety and operational efficiency. A core responsibility of the IMO is the protection of human life at sea. In pursuit of this goal, the organization promotes extensive exchange of technical maritime information among member states.

History and Organizational Structure of the International Maritime Organization

The organizational structure of the IMO consists of the following bodies:

• The Assembly.
• The Council.
• Committees, including the Maritime Safety Committee, the Technical Committee, the Marine Environment Protection Committee, and the Legal Committee.
• The Secretariat and subsidiary bodies, as required.

Membership in the organization is open to all states.

The Assembly comprises all member states and convenes once every two years. The Council consists of twenty-four members elected by the Assembly and acts as the representative body of both providers and users of international maritime services.

The Council meets as necessary and receives reports from the Maritime Safety Committee, which it forwards to the Assembly together with its own observations and recommendations. The Secretary General of the organization is appointed by the Council.

The Maritime Safety Committee comprises representatives of all member states and is responsible for the organization’s technical work. Members of this committee are elected for a term of four years. Its functions include consideration of matters relating to aids to navigation, ship construction and equipment, crew employment from a safety perspective, collision prevention rules, carriage of dangerous goods, maritime safety procedures, voyage data recorders, navigational records, casualty investigations, search and rescue operations, and generally any matter directly affecting maritime safety.

The Maritime Safety Committee meets once a year and submits proposals concerning safety regulations and amendments to existing safety instruments to the Assembly through the Council, together with its interpretations and recommendations.

The IMO Secretariat consists of a Secretary General, the Secretary of the Maritime Safety Committee, and such other staff as may be required.

The Secretariat is responsible for maintaining records necessary to the organization’s functioning and for preparing and distributing documents, agendas, and minutes required for the work of the Assembly, the Council, and the Maritime Safety Committee.

The organization’s headquarters are located in London.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Since its establishment, the International Maritime Organization has maintained working relationships with several non-governmental organizations to benefit from their advisory expertise on maritime matters. These relationships are established through cooperation agreements.

By 2013, the IMO had granted consultative status to 77 non-governmental organizations, enabling them to provide specialized technical advice within their respective fields of expertise. For example, the International Chamber of Shipping has closely collaborated with the International Maritime Organization on several issues, particularly tanker safety, inert gas systems, and crude oil tank cleaning operations. Through this cooperation, numerous publications and maritime safety guidelines have been developed. The International Chamber of Shipping has also made significant contributions in various aspects of maritime search and rescue operations.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the International Maritime Organization (IMO)