IMO: International Maritime Organization

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible regulating international shipping and promoting maritime safety, security, efficiency, and environmental protection. The IMO sets global standards for safety and security in shipping, and for the prevention of ship-borne marine and atmospheric pollution. Established by a convention adopted in 1948, it has over 170 members and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The IMO develops and maintains the global regulatory framework for shipping, including international conventions, codes, and standards covering ship safety, navigation, pollution prevention, maritime security, and the training and certification of seafarers. The IMO is responsible for keeping relevant conventions up to date, to develop related guidelines, and to oversee their implementation. On the environmental pollution side, this includes the London Convention and Protocol on the prevention of marine pollution by dumping from ships, and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which focuses on pollution from operational or accidental causes. On the maritime safety side, a key IMO instrument is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The IMO also initiates processes that lead to new conventions, as it has done with the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWM Convention) which came into force in 2017 and which complements the London Convention and Protocol and MARPOL. Because shipping is an inherently international industry, the IMO plays a vital role in creating a fair and level playing field for shipping operators and thereby ensuring the safe and effective operation of the industry. As shipping underpins a wide range of maritime industries and activities, the IMO plays a crucial role in supporting the development of a sustainable blue economy, guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the associated Sustainable Development Goals. For further information, see the IMO website. (https://www.imo.org/en)