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8/2/2019 Careers at IMO

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Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is IMO?The International Maritime Organization is a specializedagency of the United Nations which is responsible formeasures to improve the safety and security ofinternational shipping and to prevent marine pollutionfrom ships. It is also involved in legal matters, includingliability and compensation issues and the facilitation ofinternational maritime traffic. It was established bymeans of a Convention adopted under the auspices ofthe United Nations in Geneva on 17 March 1948 and

met for the first time in January 1959. It currently has170 Member States. IMO's governing body is theAssembly which is made up of all 170 Member Statesand meets normally once every two years. It adopts thebudget for the next biennium together with technicalresolutions and recommendations prepared by subsidiarybodies during the previous two years. The Council actsas governing body in between Assembly sessions. Itprepares the budget and work programme for theAssembly. The main technical work is carried out by theMaritime Safety, Marine Environment Protection, Legal,Technical Co-operation and Facilitation Committees anda number of sub-committees.

The IMO slogan sums up its objectives: Safe, secureand efficient shipping on clean oceans.

What does IMO do?

When IMO first began operations its chief concern was

RelatedDocuments

IMOPowerpointPresentation 2011(45.1 MB)

Content What

exactly

is IMO What

doesIMO do?

Who istheSecretary-Generalof IMO?

Why dowe needaninternationalorganization tolookaftershipping?

Wherecan I
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to develop international treaties and other legislationconcerning safety and marine pollution prevention.

By the late 1970s, however, this work had been largelycompleted, though a number of important instruments

were adopted in more recent years. IMO is nowconcentrating on keeping legislation up to date andensuring that it is ratified by as many countries aspossible. This has been so successful that manyConventions now apply to more than 98% of worldmerchant shipping tonnage.

Currently the emphasis is on trying to ensure that theseconventions and other treaties are properly implementedby the countries that have accepted them. The texts ofconventions, codes and other instruments adopted byIMO can be purchased from IMO Publications.

Who is the Secretary-General of

IMO?

The current Secretary-General is Mr. Koji Sekimizu(Japan).

Why do we need an international

organization to look after

shipping?

Because shipping is an international industry. If eachnation developed its own safety legislation the resultwould be a maze of differing, often conflicting nationallaws. One nation, for example, might insist on lifeboatsbeing made of steel and another of glass-reinforcedplastic. Some nations might insist on very high safetystandards while others might be more lax, acting ashavens for sub-standard shipping.

Where can I find statistics on the

shipping industry?

findstatisticson theshippingindustry

? How

doesIMOimplementlegislation?

Whatabout theclassificationsocieties?

Whataboutpollution?

Whataboutclimate

change? Doesn't

IMOalwaysaim forthelowestcommondenominator?

HowmuchdoesIMOcost?

IMOused tobe called"the richman'sclub".Has it

changed
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Try the Knowledge Centre on this site. IMO compilesstatistics from external sources: International Shippingand World Trade - Facts and figures

There are also various external sources of information:

-http://www.marisec.org/shippingfacts/home/gives anoverview of the shiping industry.

- UNCTAD produces an annual Review of MaritimeTransporthttp://www.unctad.org/Templates/StartPage.asp?intItemID=2614&lang=1

- IMO now reviews its own performance indicators.

The Global Integrated Shipping Information System(GISIS)http://gisis.imo.org/Public/has been developedby IMO to provide information on Maritime Casualtiesand Incidents as well as databases of other informationprovided by Member States.

How does IMO implement

legislation?It doesn't. IMO was established to adoptlegislation.Governments are responsible for implementing it. Whena Government accepts an IMO Convention it agrees tomake it part of its own national law and to enforce it justlike any other law. The problem is that some countrieslack the expertise, experience and resources necessary todo this properly. Others perhaps put enforcement fairlylow down their list of priorities.

The result is that serious casualty rates - probably thebest way of seeing how effective Governments are atimplementing legislation - can potentially vary from flagto flag.

IMO is concerned about this problem and in 1992 set upa special Sub-Committee on Flag State Implementationto improve the performance of Governments. Anotherway of raising standards is through port State control.The most important IMO conventions contain provisions

for Governments to inspect foreign ships that visit their

at all? Shouldn'

t IMOhavesome

sort ofpolicefunction?

What istheVoluntary IMOMemberStateAuditScheme?

Why isIMO soslow?

Haveshippingsafetyand themarineenviron

mentimprovedbecauseof IMO?

Whataboutmaritimesecurity?

What isIMO

doingaboutpiracy?

How canI becomeamemberof IMO?

How canI get a

job at

IMO?
http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#12http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#12http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#12http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#12http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#12http://www.marisec.org/shippingfacts/home/http://www.marisec.org/shippingfacts/home/http://www.marisec.org/shippingfacts/home/http://www.unctad.org/Templates/StartPage.asp?intItemID=2614&lang=1http://www.unctad.org/Templates/StartPage.asp?intItemID=2614&lang=1http://www.unctad.org/Templates/StartPage.asp?intItemID=2614&lang=1http://gisis.imo.org/Public/http://gisis.imo.org/Public/http://gisis.imo.org/Public/http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#12http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#12http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#13http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#13http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#13http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#13http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#13http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#13http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#13http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#13http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#13http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#13http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#13http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#14http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#14http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#14http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#14http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#14http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#14http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#14http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#14http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#14http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#14http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#14http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#15http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#15http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#15http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#15http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#15http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#15http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#17http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#17http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#17http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#17http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#17http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#17http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#17http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#19http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#18http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#17http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#17http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#17http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#17http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#16http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/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ports to ensure that they meet IMO standards. If they donot they can be detained until repairs are carried out.Experience has shown that this works best if countries

join together to form regional port State controlorganizations.

IMO has encouraged this process and agreements havebeen signed covering Europe and the north Atlantic(Paris MOU); Asia and the Pacific (Tokyo MOU); LatinAmerica (Acuerdo de Via del Mar); Caribbean(Caribbean MOU); West and Central Africa (AbujaMOU); the Black Sea region (Black Sea MOU); theMediterranean (Mediterranean MOU); the Indian Ocean(Indian Ocean MOU) and the Arab States of the Gulf(GCC MoU (Riyadh MoU)).

IMO also has an extensive technical co-operationprogramme which concentrates on improving the abilityof developing countries to help themselves. Itconcentrates on developing human resources throughmaritime training and similar activities.

IMO has adopted the Voluntary IMO Member StateAudit Scheme. The Audit Scheme is designed to helppromote maritime safety and environmental protectionby assessing how effectively Member States implement

and enforce relevant IMO Convention standards, and byproviding them with feedback and advice on theircurrent performance. The first audits under theVoluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme werecompleted at the end of 2006 but the IMO Assembly hasagreed a programme to make this scheme mandatory,with the entry into force of the mandatory audit schemelikely to be in 2015.

What about the classificationsocieties?

All ships must be surveyed in ordered to be issuedcertificates which establish their seaworthiness, type ofship, and so onand this is the responsibility of the flagState of the vessel. However, the flag State("Administration") may "entrust the inspections andsurveys either to surveyors nominated for the thepurpose or to organizations recognized by it" (SOLAS

Chapter 1, regulation 6).

What istechnicalco-operation?

What istheGMDSS?

Wherecan Iobtainthe textof theIMOconventions?

How canI contactIMO?

I am astudentdoingresearch- howcan I

findmoreinformation?

Relatived

Links IMO

Publications

Secretary-General
http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#20http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#21http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#21http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#21http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#21http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#21http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#21http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#21http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#21http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#22http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#22http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#22http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#22http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#22http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#22http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#22http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#23http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#23http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#23http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#23http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#23http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#23http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#23http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#23http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#23http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#23http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#23http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#24http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#24http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#24http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#24http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#24http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#24http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/Publicationshttp://www.imo.org/Publicationshttp://www.imo.org/Publicationshttp://www.imo.org/Publicationshttp://www.imo.org/Publicationshttp://www.imo.org/Publicationshttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/Publicationshttp://www.imo.org/Publicationshttp://www.imo.org/Publicationshttp://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#25http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#24http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#24http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#24http://www.imo.org/About/Pages/FAQs.aspx#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In pracice these "recognized organizations" are often theclassification societies.

The International Association of Classification

Societies(IACS) is a Non-Governmental Organizationwhich was granted Consultative Status with IMO in1969.

What about pollution?

In 1954 a treaty was adopted dealing with oil pollutionfrom ships. IMO took over responsibility for this treaty

in 1959, but it was not until 1967, when the tankerTorrey Canyon ran aground off the coast of the UnitedKingdom and spilled more than 120,000 tons of oil intothe sea, that the shipping world realized just how seriousthe pollution threat was. Until then many people hadbelieved that the seas were big enough to cope with anypollution caused by human activity. Since then IMO hasadopted a whole series of conventions coveringprevention of marine pollution by ships, preparednessand response to incidents involving oil and hazardousand noxious substances, prevention of use of harmful

anti-fouling systems and the international convention onballast water management to prevent the spread ofharmful aquatic organisms in ballast water.

The Marine Environment Protection Committee(MEPC) deals with all issues relating to marineenvironment protection as it relates to shipping.

Protecting the environment from shipping is not justabout specific regulations preventing ships dumping oil,garbage or sewage. It is also about the improvements insafety - from mandatory traffic separation schemes tothe International Safety Management (ISM) Code andimproving seafarer training - which help to preventaccidents occurring.

The preservation of Special Areas and ParticularlySensitive Sea Areas is an important aspect of IMO'swork. IMO adopts these areas - so that all MemberStates have an opportunity to view proposals and discussany proposed measures, so that any which might impact

on the freedom of navigation can be fully explored.
http://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneral


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IMO's Technical Co-operation Programme is hugelyimportant in ensuring Member States have the resourcesand expertise to implement IMO conventions relating tomarine pollution prevention. Examples of programmesinclude: sensitivity mapping to identify which parts of a

coastline are particularly vulnerable; training in oil spillresponse and contingency planning; the GloBallastproject which is addressing ballast water managementissues; and the Marine Electronic Highway in theMalacca Strait.

The IMO has a significant role to play in preserving themarine environment and ensuring that shipping does nothave a negative impact. It is recognized thatenvironmentally speaking in terms of energy needed forvolume of cargo transported, shipping is one of the"greenest" transport methods.

What about climate change?

IMO is heavily engaged in the fight to protect andpreserve our environment - both marine and atmospheric- and is energetically pursuing the limitation andreduction of greenhouse gas emissions from shippingoperations. The Marine Environment ProtectionCommittee has developed energy efficiency measures,

both for existing and new ships, to enable acomprehensive package of technical and operationalmeasures to be agreed.

Doesn't IMO always aim for the

lowest common denominator?

IMO usually tries to act on a consensus basis. This isbecause it is important that measures adopted by theOrganization, which can have a major impact onshipping, achieve as much support as possible. A treatythat was supported by only 51 per cent of the IMOmembership, for example, would be opposed by nearlyhalf the shipping world. Not only would they not ratifythe treaty concerned but they might go off and adopt analternative treaty of their own, thereby dividing themaritime community. But this does not mean that themeasures themselves are of a low standard.

Governments that did not want high standards would notbother to join IMO. The Governments that do join IMO
http://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneralhttp://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneral


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do so because they support the Organization's aims.Experience has show that the treaties adopted by IMOrepresent an extremely high standard and theiracceptability can be shown by the fact that many ofthem are now almost universal in their coverage.

SOLAS, for example, has been accepted by more than156 countries and covers all but a fraction of the worldmerchant fleet.

How much does IMO cost?

IMO is a bargain. It is one of the smallest agencies in theUnited Nations system, both in terms of staff numbers

(just 300 permanent staff) and budget. The total budgetfor the 2010-2011 biennium is 61,151,200.

This is less than half what it would cost to buy amedium sized oil tanker and represents only a fraction ofthe cost of the damage caused by an oil spill, forexample (theExxon Valdez spill in Alaska in 1989 hasso far cost more than US$5 billion). If IMO isresponsible for preventing just one oil tanker accident ayear then it more than covers its cost.

The IMO budget is unique for another reason. Costs areshared between the 170 Member States primarily inproportion to the size of each one's fleet of merchantships. The biggest fleets in the world are currentlyoperated by Panama and Liberia and so they pay thebiggest share of IMO's budget.

IMO used to be called "the rich

man's club". Has it changed at all?

When IMO began operations in 1959 shipping was stilldominated by a relatively small number of countries,nearly all of them located in the northern hemisphere.IMO tended to reflect this. But as the balance of powerin the shipping industry began to change so did IMO.The Maritime Safety Committee, the senior technicalbody, was thrown open to all Member States (previouslyit had consisted only of 16 Members elected by the

governing Assembly). The Council, which acts asgoverning body in between the two-yearly meetings of
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the Assembly, was increased in size from 18 to 24Member States, then to 32 and in 2002 was increasedstill further to 40. This was done partly to take intoaccount the growing membership of IMO, but also toensure that the views of developing countries were

properly represented. The biggest increase in Councilmembership has been to the section which takesgeographical representation into account. In 1969 IMObecame the first UN agency to make its Technical Co-operation Committee a permanent institution - anindication of the importance the Organization attaches tothis subject.

Shouldn't IMO have some sort ofpolice function?

It is sometimes said that IMO should have some sort ofauthority to enforce its regulations. This seems to implythe creation of a team of inspectors and a fleet of patrolboats crewed by officials with the right to board anyships they suspected of contravening IMO regulations.In practice, the creation of such a force would befinancially enormous - it would mean recruiting

hundreds, probably thousands of people - and politicallyimpossible: most Governments would never agree toallow ships flying their flag to be boarded ininternational waters and any attempt to introduce asystem of penalties and punishments would be evenmore unacceptable.

The "IMO" police force would duplicate the work beingdone already by individual Governments and there is noguarantee that it would make a significant impact onsafety and pollution, certainly in relation to the cost

involved. IMO has however been given the authority tovet the training, examination and certificationprocedures of Contracting Parties to the InternationalConvention on Standards of Training, Certification andWatchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978. This wasone of the most important changes made in the 1995amendments to the Convention which entered into forceon 1 February 1997. Governments have to providerelevant information to IMO's Maritime SafetyCommittee which judges whether or not the countryconcerned meets the requirements of the Convention.

The result is a List of Confirmed Parties to STCW.
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What is the Voluntary IMO

Member State Audit Scheme?

IMO has now adopted the Voluntary IMO Member StateAudit Scheme. The Audit Scheme is designed to helppromote maritime safety and environmental protectionby assessing how effectively Member States implementand enforce relevant IMO Convention standards, and byproviding them with feedback and advice on theircurrent performance. The first audits under theVoluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme werecompleted at the end of 2006 but the IMO Assembly hasagreed a programme to make this scheme mandatory,with the entry into force of the mandatory audit schemelikely to be in 2015.

Why is IMO so slow?

The main purpose of IMO is to adopt internationaltreaties which are intended to apply to as many ships aspossible. Unanimity of this kind inevitably takes time -

it depends on the speed with which Governments act, aswell as IMO - and it can only be achieved at all byensuring that the regulations adopted are very widelyacceptable and this can take time.

But when speed is necessary IMO can act very rapidlyindeed.

An example is the adoption in December 2002 ofsecurity measures - largely in response to the 11September 2001 atacks in the United States.

In December 2003, IMO revised the rules on oil tankersingle-hull phase-out, in response to the Prestigeincident of 2002.

In another example, following theEstonia disaster ofSeptember 1994, in which a passenger ro-ro ferry sankwith the loss of more than 900 lives, the then Secretary-General of IMO, Mr. William A. O'Neil, called for acomplete review of ro-ro safety to be carried out by a

special panel of experts. The panel's report wasconsidered by the Maritime Safety Committee in May
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1995 and amendments to the International Conventionfor the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974 wereadopted in November. Special requirements concerningthe crews of ro-ro passenger ships were included inamendments to the International Convention on

Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeepingfor Seafarers (STCW), 1978 that were adopted in July1995. All of this was done before the final report intothe disaster had been issued.

A further example is provided by the 1995 amendmentsto the STCW Convention as a whole. Although IMOagreed some years ago to amend the Convention, thetimetable originally envisaged would have meant thatthis would not have taken place before 1998 and theamendments themselves would not have entered intoforce until the next century. In May 1993 the Secretary-General urged the Maritime Safety Committee that thisprocess be accelerated by using special consultants. TheCommittee agreed and the amendment procedure -which amounted to a complete re-writing of theConvention - was completed by July 1995. As a resultthe amendments entered into force in February 1997 -more than a year before the amendment conferencewould have been held under the original timetable.

IMO has improved its procedures over the years toensure that changes can be introduced more quickly.

One of the most successful of these has been the processknown as "tacit acceptance" which has been included inmost technical conventions adopted by IMO since theearly 1970s. The normal procedure for adoptingamendments to an international treaty is by means of"explicit acceptance." This means that the amendmentsenter into force so many months after being accepted bya specified number of Parties to the original Convention.

The number can be as high as two-thirds and if theparent convention has been accepted by a large numberof countries it could mean 80 or more of them having toratify the amendment before it becomes internationallaw. Experience has shown that this can take decades toachieve - by which time the amendment itself is likely tobe out of date. The tacit acceptance procedure meansthat amendments - which are nearly always adoptedunanimously - enter into force on a set date unless theyare specifically rejected by a specified number ofcountries.

Because of the care taken at IMO conferences to achieve
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unanimity very few rejections have ever been receivedand the entry into force period has been steadilyreduced. In exceptional cases amendments can enter intoforce as little a year after being adopted. Apart from thespeed, tacit acceptance also means that everyone

involved knows exactly when an amendments will enterinto force. Under the old system you never knew untilthe final acceptance was actually deposited with IMO.

Have shipping safety and the

marine environment improved

because of IMO?

Although we can say yes to this question with someconfidence it is difficult to compare shipping today withthat of thirty or forty years ago because of the greatchanges that have taken place in the industry during thatperiod. In the 1950s shipping was dominated by ahandful of traditional maritime countries. They built theships, operated them, manned them - and provided thegoods that were carried on them. Today most ships flythe flags of developing countries, their crews come fromall over the world. Doubts have been expressed about

the ability of some of these countries to maintain andoperate ships to the high standards laid down in IMOregulations. Ships themselves have changeddramatically in size, speed and design and in additioneconomic factors mean that the average of ships today ismuch higher than it used to be. Despite these changes,safety standards around the world are generally goodand have improved considerably since the late 1970s,when IMO treaties began to enter into force and thenumber of acceptances rose to record levels.

Statistics do not always tell the whole story. In the early1980s, for example, a study carried out in the UnitedKingdom showed that the number of collisions betweenships was much the same as it had been ten years before,indicating that the introduction of traffic separationschemes and other measures had not had much impact.But closer examination showed that the number ofcollisions had fallen dramatically in areas where IMOapproved schemes had been adopted - but had risen bythe same number in areas where nothing had been done.

Generally speaking, the rate of serious casualties has notgreatly changed during the last ten years or so. But in
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view of the changes taking place in shipping - notablythe steady ageing of the world fleet -this is an indicationthat IMO measures are having an impact.

As far as pollution is concerned, the indications are that

there has been a remarkable improvement in the amountof pollution caused by ships. This is partly due to thetightening of controls through IMO conventions such asthe International Convention for the Prevention ofPollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocolof 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL 73/78) and partly tothe introduction of better methods of controlling thedisposal of wastes. According to a study carried out bythe United States National Academy of Sciences oilpollution from ships fell by about 60% during the 1980s,coinciding with the entry into force of MARPOL 73/78.

Whilst statistics have to be used with care, it should benoted that the incidence of large spills is relatively low;a very few large spills account for a high percentage ofthe oil spilt. Nevertheless, it is generally acknowledgedthat oil spills from shipping have decreased significantlyover the last 30 years.

All of this is encouraging. But IMO is aware that a greatdeal more needs to be done to improve safety and

prevent pollution. It is now concentrating on makingsure that Governments and the industry implement themeasures that have been adopted more effectively - andon reducing the number of accidents at sea which arecaused by human error. Since some estimates say thatmistakes make up around 80% of the total the scope forimprovement is enormous.

IMO is now monitoring performance indicators to assessthe trends.

What about maritime security?

Maritime security is now an integral part of IMO'sresponsibilities. A comprehensive security regime forinternational shipping entered into force on 1 July 2004.

The mandatory security measures, adopted in December2002, include a number of amendments to the 1974

Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS), the mostfar-reaching of which enshrines the new International
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Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code),which contains detailed security-related requirements forGovernments, port authorities and shipping companies.

What is IMO doing about piracy?

Just a few short years ago, it seemed that the scourge ofmodern-day piracy was being beaten. The figures revealquite clearly how the nature of the problem has changed.At the turn of the last century, the world's mostnotorious piracy areas were the Straits of Malacca andSingapore and the South China Sea. In 2000, there werea total of 471 acts of piracy or armed robbery against

ships reported to IMO, of which 112 had taken place inthe Malacca Strait and 140 in the South China Sea.

By 2008, the total number of attacks reported was downto 305 and the figures for the Strait of Malacca and theSouth China Sea were down to 2 and 71, respectively.But, by contrast, the figure for East Africa had risenfrom just 13 in 2004 to 135 and, for West Africa, it hadincreased from 23 in 2004 to 51 in 2008.

Today, the deteriorating security situation in the seas off

war-torn Somalia and the Gulf of Aden (and in theincreasingly volatile Gulf of Guinea) are at the heart ofthe problem. In 2008, the number of reported attacks offEast Africa, in particular, rose astronomically.

The number of acts of piracy and armed robbery againstships reported to the Organization to have occurred in2009 was 406, against 306 during 2008, representing anincrease of 32.7%. In the first four months of 2010, 135incidents had been reported. The majority of actualattacks reported worldwide during 2009 had occurred ininternational waters, largely as a result of pirate activityin the waters off the coast of Somalia.

Meanwhile, the numbers of attacks reported that hadoccurred in port facilities while the ships were at anchoror berthed, had shown a steady downward trend sincethe introduction of the International Ship and Port

Facilities (ISPS) Code in 2004.
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Any act of piracy and armed robbery can impact onhuman life, the safety of navigation and theenvironment. Piracy is a criminal act, which not onlyaffects the victims but also has severe financial

repercussions.

The three areas of concern to IMO, particularly relevantto the situation off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, canbe summed up as:

the need to protect seafarers, fishermen andpassengers;

the need to ensure the uninterrupted delivery ofhumanitarian aid to Somalia effected by shipschartered by the World Food Programme; and

the need to preserve the integrity of the Gulf ofAden - a lane of strategic importance andsignificance to international shipping and trade,both east and west of the Suez Canal, which isused by some 22,000 vessels annually, carryingaround 8% of the world's trade, including morethan 12% of the total volume of oil transportedby sea, as well as raw materials and finishedgoods.

Regional cooperation among States has an importantrole to play in solving the problem of piracy and armedrobbery against ships, as evidenced by the success of theregional anti-piracy operation in the Straits of Malaccaand Singapore. The Regional Cooperation Agreement onCombating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships inAsia (RECAAP), which was concluded in November2004 by 16 countries in Asia, and includes the RECAAPInformation Sharing Centre (ISC) for facilitating thesharing of piracy-related information, is a good exampleof successful regional cooperation which IMO seeks to

replicate elsewhere.

In January 2009, an important regional agreement wasadopted in Djibouti by States in the region, at a high-level meeting convened by IMO. The Code of Conductconcerning the Repression of Piracy and ArmedRobbery against Ships in the Western Indian Ocean andthe Gulf of Aden recognizes the extent of the problem ofpiracy and armed robbery against ships in the regionand, in it, the signatories declare their intention to cooperate to the fullest possible extent, and in a manner

consistent with international law, in the repression of
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piracy and armed robbery against ships.

The signatories commit themselves towards sharing andreporting relevant information through a system ofnational focal points and information centres;

interdicting ships suspected of engaging in acts of piracyor armed robbery against ships; ensuring that personscommitting or attempting to commit acts of piracy orarmed robbery against ships are apprehended andprosecuted; and facilitating proper care, treatment, andrepatriation for seafarers, fishermen, other shipboardpersonnel and passengers subject to acts of piracy orarmed robbery against ships, particularly those whohave been subjected to violence.

Implementation of the Djibouti Code of Conduct willhelp to:

improve communications between States; enhance the capabilities of States in the region to

deter, arrest and prosecute pirates; improve States' maritime situational awareness;

and enhance the capabilities of local coast guards.

IMO has also revised the guidance on measures to take

to deter piracy, to include region-specific guidancebased on industry best management practice.

IMO is also seeking additional support from States ableto provide warships and maritime patrol aircraft for theGulf of Aden and Western Indian Ocean area and isfocusing on bringing the recently opened MaritimeRescue Coordination Centres in Mombasa and Dar esSalaam into the counter piracy role.

In the longer term, IMO is seeking to promote

international action to stabilize the situation in Somaliathrough the UN Security Council, the UN PoliticalOffice for Somalia, the UN Development Programme,the Contact Group on Piracy off Somalia, and others.

In the case of the situation off Somalia, developmentsashore are probably the only way to resolve this problemin the long term.

In the meantime, it is essential to maintain support fromStates able to provide warships and maritime patrol

aircraft until the political situation is resolved.
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How can I become a member of

IMO?

Only a country can become a Member of IMO. IMOcurrently has 170 Member States.

Shipping and other interests are represented at IMOthrough Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs)which have concluded agreements of co-operation withIMO and Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) inConsultative Status with IMO.

Individuals wishing to raise an issue at IMO shouldapproach their national maritime administration orappropriate IGO or NGO.

How can I get a job at IMO?

Current vacancies are posted in the About section underCareers.

What is technical co-operation?

The Technical Co-operation Programme is designed toassist Governments which lack the technical knowledgeand resources that are needed to operate a shippingindustry successfully. Any Member State can apply toIMO for assistance with specific projects.

What is the GMDSS?

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System(GMDSS) is an integrated communications system usingsatellite and terrestrial radiocommunications to ensurethat no matter where a ship is in distress, aid can bedispatched. Under the GMDSS, all passenger ships andall cargo ships over 300 gross tonnage on international

voyages have to carry specified satellite andradiocommunications equipment, for sending and
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receiving distress alerts and maritime safety information,and for general communications. The GMDSS becamefully effective from 1 February 1999.

Where can I obtain the text of the

IMO conventions?

Texts of IMO Conventions can be purchased via thePublications section. Texts can also be found in nationalpublic libraries and in the libraries of maritime traininginstitutes.

For legal purposes, only the authentic texts and certifiedcopies of Conventions and amendments should be used.Please note that texts of IMO Conventions found onexternal websites may not be up to date. You should alsocontact your national maritime Administration.

Conventions ratified by a Government are adopted intonational legislation and the national version will beavailable through the usual channels (official bulletins,etc).

How can I contact IMO?

Individuals wishing to raise an issue at IMO, or wantinginformation on implementation of IMO instruments intheir country or on their vessel, should approach theirnational maritime administration or appropriate IGO orNGO.

To contact IMO Secretariat, see the Contact Us page.

I am a student doing research -

how can I find more information?

See the Knowledge Centre section as well as the othersections of the website. The Site Index can help you find

information on a specific subject while external searchengines can also help.
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While we will endeavour to answer specific queries weexpect students to research thoroughly on the websitebefore emailing IMO.

2011 International Maritime Organization (IMO)Disclaimer: IMO has endeavoured to make the information on this website as accurate aspossible but cannot take responsibility for any errors.
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Careers at IMO

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