IMO
There are numerous organizations with the abbreviation "IMO," but assuming you are referring to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), here's a detailed overview:
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The International Maritime Organization, often abbreviated as IMO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established in 1948 and came into full force in 1959. Its headquarters are located in London, United Kingdom.
Mission and Objectives
The IMO's primary mission is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair, effective, universally adopted, and universally implemented. The organization focuses on several key objectives:
- Safety and Security: Establishing international safety regulations to ensure the security of life at sea.
- Environmental Protection: Setting standards to minimize the environmental impact of shipping activities.
- Legal Matters: Developing international maritime law to ensure efficient and equitable shipping practices.
- Technical Cooperation: Providing technical assistance and capacity-building programs, especially for developing countries.
- Efficiency and Facilitation: Streamlining procedures for international shipping to make maritime transport more efficient and cost-effective.
Key Conventions and Regulations
The IMO is known for several important international treaties and conventions, such as:
- SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea): One of the most important treaties focusing on ship safety.
- MARPOL (Marine Pollution): International regulations aimed at preventing pollution from ships.
- COLREGs (Collision Regulations): Regulations for preventing collisions at sea.
- STCW (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers): Setting qualification standards for seafarers.
- IMDG Code (International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code): Regulations for the safe transport of hazardous materials and dangerous goods.
Structure and Governance
The IMO consists of an Assembly, a Council, and five main Committees:
- Assembly: The highest governing body, composed of all Member States, which meets every two years.
- Council: Acts as the executive organ and is responsible for ensuring the functioning of the IMO.
- Committees:
- Maritime Safety Committee (MSC)
- Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC)
- Legal Committee
- Technical Cooperation Committee
- Facilitation Committee
Membership
The IMO has a wide membership, with around 174 Member States and three Associate Members as of 2023. These members are primarily countries with maritime interests.
Achievements and Impact
The IMO has made significant contributions to maritime safety and environmental protection:
- Reduction in Maritime Accidents: Implementation of rigorous safety standards has led to a marked decrease in maritime accidents.
- Mitigating Environmental Impact: Introduction of cleaner fuel regulations and restrictions on emissions has reduced the environmental impact of the maritime industry.
- Global Standards: The establishment of universally recognized standards has leveled the playing field, fostering fair competition and consistency across the global maritime industry.
If you meant another organization by "IMO company," please provide more context, and I’d be happy to share information accordingly.
- Phone: + 44 (0)20 7735 7611
- Web: https://www.imo.org/
IMO News
Six Candidates Vie for IMO Secretary-General Slot
By the established deadline of 31 March 2015, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has received the nominations of six candidates, nominated by their Governments for the position of Secretary-General of IMO. The election for the post will be held at the 114th session of the 40-Member strong IMO Council, which meets from 29 June to 3 July 2015. The decision of the Council will be submitted to the IMO Assembly…
IMCA DP Proposal to be Basis for Updating IMO Guidelines
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed to use the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) proposals as the basis for the review of the IMO Guidelines for vessels with dynamic positioning (DP) systems (MSC/Circ.645). The review will be taken forward by an IMO intersessional correspondence group that will further develop the draft, with a view to finalizing it at the next meeting of the IMO Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE) sub-committee, in 2016.
Russia Names Nominee for IMO Secretary General
The Russian Federation has nominated Vitaly Klyuev, Russia’s Deputy Director of the Department of State Policy for Maritime and River Transport, as a candidate for the post of Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), marking the first time ever that a candidate from Russia will compete for the IMO SG's post. Russia has been a member state of the IMO since the organization’s inception.
IMO Seeks Input on Ballast Water Management
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is inviting stakeholders involved in the testing, approval, fitting and operation of ballast water management systems (BWMS) to complete online surveys as a part of a study to assess the implementation of the BWMS approval guidelines and the performance of type-approved systems. According to the IMO, the study aims to provide a review of the technical standards…
NATO Maritime Commander Visits IMO Antipiracy Training
NATO Maritime Commander Vice Admiral Peter Hudson, CBE Royal Navy, visited the two-week Advanced Maritime Law Enforcement/Training of Trainers course taking place at NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC), in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece. The course is being conducted from February 23 to March 6 under the auspices of the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC) and the Djibouti Regional Training Centre with the support and supervision of the IMO Secretariat’s Kiruja Micheni…
GE’s First IMO Tier III Marine Diesel Engines Ordered
Bastø Fosen has placed an order for eight of GE Marine’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier III compliant marine diesel engines for new and repowered vessels. The order, which includes six eight-cylinder in-line engines for three new ferries and two 16-cylinder V engines to repower two existing vessels, Bastø I and Bastø II, will see Bastø Fosen be among the first customers in Northern…
IMO Training for Mariners in the Arctic Finalised
The IMO has now agreed on training requirements for seafarers navigating Arctic and Antarctic waters. The requirements are to enhance safety of navigation in polar…
IMO implements new SOLAS fire protection requirements for on-deck cargo areas
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has introduced new requirements for the fire protection of on-deck cargo areas. The new requirements, which will be added to SOLAS regulation II-2/10, apply to all ships designed to carry containers that are constructed on or after January 1, 2016. The new regulations stipulate that new ships designed to carry containers on or above the weather deck shall be fitted with at least one water mist lance…
UNDP and IMO Chiefs Meet
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark met International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu at IMO Headquarters on January 20, where the two highlighted common commitment to sustainable development and discussed the important role of maritime transportation in building the economies of developing countries. The leaders noted the two multimillion…
Insights: Johan Roos, Interferry's Executive Director of EU and IMO Affairs
Johan Roos is Interferry’s executive director of European Union and IMO affairs based in Brussels, Belgium. He took up the newly created regulatory affairs post in September 2011 after previously serving as director of sustainability with Sweden’s Stena Rederi AB. He holds a masters degree in environmental sciences from the University of Gothenburg. In 2000, he left classification society DNV to join…
Hapag-Lloyd to Accept IMO Cargo at Algiers Port
Further to our previous communication and CustomerInfo of April 11, 2014 we would like to inform you that with immediate effect, Hapag-Lloyd is in a position to…
IMO adopts Polar Code Safety Requirements
On November 21, the International Maritime Organization, or IMO, finalized the Polar Code and adopted amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea…
BIMCO wants IMO to Cut Red Tape
BIMCO has today announced its support for a report identifying ways to reduce red tape for shipping which will be presented to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) next week in London.
EU Regs on Ship CO2 Reporting Complicates IMO Agreement
ICS Concerned that EU will Preempt IMO CO2 Negotiations. The global trade association for shipowners – the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) – is disappointed and concerned that the European Union is about to pre-empt negotiations taking place at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the collection of data on CO2 emissions from ships, by unilaterally adopting a regional Regulation which will apply to non-EU flag vessels, as well as ships registered in the EU.
Interferry Welcomes IMO Decision on LNG Fuel Tank Placement
Interferry has welcomed a decision at last week’s IMO Maritime Safety Committee meeting (MSC94) setting out rules for the location of fuel tanks on LNG-powered ships…
Environmental Groups: IMO Polar Code Too Weak
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) today adopted the Polar Code aimed at regulating shipping in Polar Regions. Several environmental groups have criticized the measures for not going far enough to protect the Arctic and Antarctic environments, arguing that while the new code is a positive step forward, it is insufficient to properly protect Polar environments from the anticipated increased levels of shipping activity.
IMO Steps Up Safety in Polar Waters
United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted global, binding regulations to enhance safety of navigation in polar waters. After several years’ intense negotiations…
IMO Type Approval for BallastMaster ultraV 500
GEA Westfalia Separator Group was awarded IMO Type Approval by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) for the BallastMaster ultraV 500. The document was handed over by representatives of the BSH in an official capacity to the project managers of the ballast water system at SMM 2014 in Hamburg. The 500m³ installation is a scale-up of the 250m³ variant which had already been certified with the IMO Type Approval in December 2011.
Denmark Nominates Nordseth for IMO Sec. Gen.'s Post
Denmark nominates Director General of the Danish Maritime Authority Andreas Nordseth for the post as Secretary General of United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Interferry Applauds IMO Consideration of BWTS Exemption
Interferry has praised a decision made at last week’s meeting of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) that could exempt certain ferry operators from fitting equipment required by the impending Ballast Water Management Convention to reduce the spread of invasive species. In a joint submission with Denmark, the trade association argued that ballast water management systems were irrelevant for ships continuously operating in the same body of water, such as between the U.K.