Introduction to IMO

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a United Nations specialised body in charge of improving international shipping safety and security and preventing ship pollution in the ocean. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) establishes international maritime safety and security standards. It regulates all aspects of international shipping, including legal difficulties and shipping efficiency.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO, French: Organisation Maritime Internationale; known until 1982 as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization) is a United Nations specialised agency responsible for maritime regulation. Following an agreement reached at a United Nations convention in Geneva in 1948, the IMO was formed ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and now has 175 Member States and three Associate Members.

The IMO’s principal goal is to create and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping. Its current responsibilities include maritime safety, environmental problems, legal issues, technical cooperation, maritime security, and shipping efficiency. The IMO is governed by a membership assembly and its finances are managed by a council of members elected by the membership. The IMO’s work is organised into five committees, each of which is backed by technical subcommittees. Other UN organisations are welcome to observe the IMO’s proceedings. Qualified non-governmental organisations are granted observer status.

International shipping:

Shipping is a genuinely global sector, and it can only function properly if international norms and standards are agreed upon, adopted, and enforced. And the IMO is the venue where this takes place.

Over 80% of global trade is transported by international shipping to individuals and communities all over the world. For most items, shipping is the most efficient and cost-effective way of international transportation; it provides a dependable, low-cost means of carrying goods throughout the world, facilitating business and contributing to the development of nations and peoples.

The world depends on a safe, secure, and efficient international shipping industry, which is ensured by the regulatory framework designed and maintained by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

IMO regulations apply to all aspects of international shipping, including ship design, construction, equipment, manning, operation, and disposal, to ensure that this vital industry remains safe, environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and secure.

Prevention of marine pollution by ships:

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is by far the most important international convention for preventing pollution of the marine environment by ships related to operational or deliberate causes.

On November 2, 1973, the IMO passed the MARPOL Convention. Following a series of tanker accidents in 1976-1977, the 1978 Protocol was developed. The 1978 MARPOL Protocol absorbed the parent Convention, as the 1973 MARPOL Convention had not yet came into force. On October 2, 1983, the combined instrument became effective. A Protocol to amend the Convention was ratified in 1997, and a new Annex VI was inserted, which became effective on May 19, 2005. Amendments to MARPOL have been added throughout time.

Conclusion:

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a United Nations specialised body in charge of improving international shipping safety and security and preventing ship pollution in the ocean. Shipping is a genuinely global sector, and it can only function properly if international norms and standards are agreed upon, adopted, and enforced. And the IMO is the venue where this takes place.

IMO is situated in London and employs roughly 300 international workers, with 174 Member States and three Associate Members. The United Kingdom’s Marine 2050 plan and high-level vision for the maritime sector were published in 2018.