IMO Organisation

2IMO Organisation

3IMO Organisation

► A conference held by the United Nations in 1948 adopted a convention establishing the International Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) as was then called the IMO as the first international body devoted exclusively to maritime matters. The name of International Maritime Organization (IMO) was adopted in 1982.

► Head Office in London: The current headquarters, 4 Albert Embankment, were open in 1983.

► Maritime Safety and Pollution Prevention

► To date (September 2007),167 Member States and 3 Associate Members

History

4IMO Organisation

► Assembly and Council:

► The governing body, the Assembly, meets every two years (uneven years). Between sessions, the Council, consisting of 40 Member Governments elected by the Assembly acts as IMO’s governing body. The Council meets at regular intervals, ordinary sessions are held every six months.

► Council Members are elected by the Assembly in three different categories:

States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services (10 members)

Other States with the largest interest in international seaborne trade (10 members)

States not elected under above (a) or (b) which have special interest in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world (20 members)

Governing Body

5IMO Organisation

► TECHNICAL COMMITTEES:

Maritime Safety Committee (MSC)

Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC)

Working Organization

► OTHER COMMITTEES:

LEGAL COMMITTEE (LEG)

TECHNICAL COOPERATION (TC)

FACILITATION COMMITTEE (FAL)

► IMO is a technical organization and most of its work is carried out is carried out in a number of committees and sub-committees.

6IMO Organisation

► The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) is the most senior committee that carries the technical work addressing ship’s safety (and security since 2002). The MSC meets twice (May and December) every even year and once (May) every uneven year (year of Assembly)

► The MSC is the highest technical body of the Organization. The functions of the Maritime Safety Committee are to “consider any matter within the scope of the Organization concerned with aids to navigation, construction and equipment of vessels, manning from a safety standpoint, rules for the prevention of collisions, handling of dangerous cargoes, maritime safety procedures and requirements,hydrographic information, log-books and navigational records, marine casualty investigations, salvage and rescue and any other matters directly affecting maritime safety”.

Working Organization

7IMO Organisation

► The Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is empowered to consider any matter within the scope of the Organization concerned with prevention and control of pollution from ships. In particular it is concerned with the adoption and amendment of conventions and other regulations and measures to ensure their enforcement. The MEPC was first established as a subsidiary body of the Assembly in November 1973 and raised to full constitutional status in 1985. MEPC meets twice every even year (April and October) and once (July), in uneven year (year of Assembly).

Working Organization

8IMO Organisation

► OTHER COMMITTES

Working Organization

► OTHER COMMITTEES:

The Legal Committee (LEG) is empowered to deal with any legal matters within the scope of the IMO. It was established in 1967 as a subsidiary body to deal with legal questions which arose in the aftermath of the Torrey Canyon disaster.

The Technical Co-operation Committee (TC) is required to consider any matter concerned with the implementation of technical co-operation projects for which the IMO acts as the executing or co-operating agency and any other matters related to the IMO’s activities in the technical cooperation field.It was established in 1969 and was institutionalized by means of an amendment to the Convention which entered into force in 1984.

The Facilitation Committee (FAL) was established in 1972 and deals with IMO’s activities and function relating to the facilitation of international maritime traffic work in eliminating unnecessary formalities and “red tape” in international shipping.

9IMO Organisation

► Both the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) and the Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) rely upon specialized technical bodies, the Sub-Committees:

Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG), Communications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR), Design and Equipment (DE), Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers (DSC), Fire Protection (FP), Flag State Implementation (FSI) Safety of Navigation (NAV), Stability and Load Lines and on Fishing Vessels Safety (SLF), Standards of Training and Watch keeping (STW)

Working Organization

10IMO Organisation

IMO SECRETARIAT

SECRETARY GENERAL

► The work of the Committees and Sub-Committees is supported by the IMO Secretariat.

► The IMO Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General.

► The Secretary-General is appointed by the Council, with the approval of the Assembly. The Secretary-General is assisted by a staff of 320 international civil servants (September 2007).

Working Organization

11IMO Organisation

IMO SECRETARIAT

MARITIME SAFETY DIVISION

Sub-division for operational safety and human element

► Operational Safety Section

► Maritime Training and Human Element Section

Sub-division for maritime security and facilitation

► Maritime Security Section

► Facilitation Section

Sub-division for marine technology and cargoes

► Marine Technology Section

► Cargoes Section

Sub-division for implementation and co-ordination

► Implementation and PSC Co-ordination Section

► TC Implementation Co-ordination Section

Working Organization

12IMO Organisation

IMO SECRETARIAT

MARINE ENVIRONMENT DIVISION

Sub-division for pollution prevention

► Oil Pollution Prevention and Implementation Section

► Chemical and Air Pollution Prevention Section

► Marine Biosafety Section

Sub-division for pollution response and tc co-ordination

► OPRC-HNS

► TC Co-ordination and Major Projects

► Office For The London Convention

Working Organization

13IMO Organisation

SPECIALIZED COMMITTEES AND SUB-COMMITTEES

All the committees (and sub-committees) of IMO are open to participation by all Member Governments of an equal basis.

DELEGATIONS:

MEMBER STATES

Inter Governmental Organizations

Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Working Process

14IMO Organisation

► Conventions

► Codes

► Resolutions

► Circulars

Working Process

15IMO Organisation

► SOLAS 1960

► SOLAS 1974

► LOAD LINES 1966

► TONNAGE 1969

► INMARSAT

► TORREMOLINOS 1977

► STCW 1978

Conventions : Safety

16IMO Organisation

► MARPOL 73/78

► HIGHSEAS 1969

► LDC 1972

► OPRC 1990 and HNS PROTOCOL

► AFS 2001

► BWM 2004

Conventions : Pollution

17IMO Organisation

► Facilitation of Traffic 67

► Carriage of Nuclear substances 71

► Passengers and their luggage 74

► Limitations of liability for maritime claims 76

► Suppression of unlawful acts 88

► Salvage 89

IMO – Other Matters

18IMO Organisation

► IMDG Code, 1965

► BC Code, 1965

► BCH Code, 1972

► Gas Code, 1975

► MODU Code, 1979

► SPS Code, 1983

IMO - Codes

19IMO Organisation

► IBC Code, 1983

► IGC Code, 1983

► International Grain Code, 1991

► ISM Code, 1994

► HSC Code, 1994

► LSA Code, 1996

► FTP Code, 1996

► NOx Technical Code, 1997

IMO - Codes

20IMO Organisation

► To help developing countries to ratify and implement IMO Conventions

► Technical Co-operation Committee

► Training and Model Courses

► World Maritime University (Malmoe)

IMO – Technical Assistance