IMO & Conventions by Mohd. Hanif Dewan, Senior Engg. Lecturer, International Maritime Academy, Bangladesh.

1. -Mohd. Hanif Dewan, Senior Engg. Lecturer,
International Maritime Academy, Bangladesh.
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2. IMO
What is IMO?
 International Maritime Organization.
 IMO is the specialized agency of the United
Nations (U.N.) concerned with Maritime Affairs
located in London, England.
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Mohd. Hanif Dewan, Senior Lecturer, IMA,
Bangladesh.

3. History of IMO:
 IMO (Formerly known as IMCO-International
Maritime Consultative Organization) was established
under a 1948 United Nations convention that entered
into force on 17 March 1958.
 As of December, 2013 IMO currently has 170
member states, 3 associate members, 51 Inter-
Governmental Organizations which have concluded
agreements of cooperation, and 66 Non-
Governmental Organizations in Consultative Status
with IMO.
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Bangladesh.

4.  What Does IMO Do?
The IMO slogan sums up its objectives:
“Safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans.”
 When IMO first began operations its chief concern was to develop
international treaties and other legislation concerning safety and
marine pollution prevention.
 By the late 1970s, however, this work had been largely completed,
though a number of important instruments were adopted in more
recent years. IMO is now concentrating on keeping legislation up to
date and ensuring that it is ratified by as many countries as possible.
This has been so successful that many Conventions now apply to
more than 98% of world merchant shipping tonnage.
 Currently the emphasis is on trying to ensure that these
conventions and other treaties are properly implemented by
the countries that have accepted them. The texts of
conventions, codes and other instruments adopted by IMO
can be purchased from IMO Publications.
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Bangladesh.

5. Why do we need the IMO to look after shipping?
Because shipping is an international industry. If each
nation developed its own safety legislation the result
would be a maze of differing, often conflicting
national laws. One nation, for example, might insist
on lifeboats being made of steel and another of
glass-reinforced plastic. Some nations might insist
on very high safety standards while others might be
more lax, acting as havens for sub-standard
shipping.
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6. What is the IMO Convention?
 A written international treaty made between two or more states which is
binding in International law.
 Conventions are chief instruments of IMO, being binding legal
instruments, regulating some aspect of maritime affairs of major concern
to IMO e.g. safety of life at sea (SOLAS) or marine pollution (MARPOL).
 They are identified by name and the year of adoption by the Assembly,
Such as the International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974.
 May have detailed technical provisions attached in annexes, such as six
annexes to the MARPOL convention, each dealing with a different
aspect of marine pollution.
How many IMO conventions are there?
 As of December, 2013, there are 30 conventions have been made
between IMO member states.
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7. Most important IMO Conventions:
1. International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS), 1974, as amended.
2. International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution
from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978
relating thereto and by the Protocol of 1997(MARPOL).
3. International Convention on Standards of Training,
Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers ( STCW ) as
amended, including the 1995 and 2010 Manila Amendments.
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8. Other conventions relating to maritime safety and security and
ship/port interface:
4.Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG),
1972
5. Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL), 1965
6. International Convention on Load Lines (LL), 1966
7. International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR), 1979
8. Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime
Navigation (SUA), 1988, and Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against
the Safety of Fixed Platforms located on the Continental Shelf (and the 2005 Protocols)
9. International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), 1972
10. Convention on the International Maritime Satellite Organization (IMSO C), 1976
11. The Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels(SFV),
1977, superseded by the The 1993 Torremolinos Protocol; Cape Town Agreement of 2012
on the Implementation of the Provisions of the 1993 Protocol relating to the Torremolinos
International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels
12. International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for
Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F), 1995
13. Special Trade Passenger Ships Agreement (STP), 1971 and Protocol on Space
Requirements for Special Trade Passenger Ships, 1973
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9. Other conventions relating to prevention of marine pollution:
14. International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of
Oil Pollution Casualties (INTERVENTION), 1969
15. Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and
Other Matter (LC), 1972 (and the 1996 London Protocol)
16. International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-
operation (OPRC), 1990
17. Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to pollution Incidents
by Hazardous and Noxious Substances, 2000 (OPRC-HNS Protocol)
18. International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on
Ships (AFS), 2001
19. International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast
Water and Sediments, 2004
20. The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally
Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009
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10. Conventions covering liability and compensation:
21. International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (CLC), 1969
22. 1992 Protocol to the International Convention on the Establishment of
anInternational Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage (FUND 1992)
23. Convention relating to Civil Liability in the Field of Maritime Carriage of Nuclear
Material (NUCLEAR), 1971
24. Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea
(PAL), 1974
25. Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC), 1976
26. International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection
with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea(HNS), 1996 (and its 2010
Protocol)
27. International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001
28. Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007
Other subjects
29. International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships (TONNAGE), 1969
30. International Convention on Salvage (SALVAGE), 1989
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11. IMO Has Developed 25 Codes, Including:
 Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS)
 Standards for Training and Watchkeeping
 Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG)
 Solid Bulk Cargoes
 Safety Management (ISM)
 High Speed Craft
 Construction and Equipment of Mobile Offshore
Drilling Units
 Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying
Dangerous Chemical in Bulk
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12. IMO Has Developed More Than 700
Recommendations & Guidelines,Including:
1. Securing Arrangements for the Transport of Road
Vehicles on Ro-Ro Ships
2. Packing Cargo in Freight Containers
3. Intact Stability for Passenger & Cargo Ships under
100 meters in length
4. Safe Access to and Working in Large Tanks & Large
Cargo Holds
5. Emergency Towing Requirements – Tankers
6. Provisions and Display of Maneuvering
Information on Board Ships
7. Safe Use of Pesticides in Ships
8. Medical First Aid Guide for Use in Accidents
involving Dangerous Goods
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13. IMO Facts
Annual Budget – 24+ Million GBP
Member States fund IMO budget through
assessments based largely on size of fleet
(% of world’s gross tonnage)
Secretariat –
 320 Staff Members
 50 Nationalities
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14. IMO Secretariat:
Who is the Secretary-General of IMO?
The current Secretary-General is Mr. Koji Sekimizu (Japan).
Maritime
Safety
Division
Legal Affairs and
External Relations
Division
Administrative
Division
Conference
Division
Marine
Environment
Division
Technical
Cooperation
SECRETARY GENERAL
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15.  Major Issues on IMO’s Agenda
 Maritime Security
 Role of the Human Element
 Goal-based new ship construction standards
 Member State Assessment
 Ballast Water Management
 Air Pollution from Ships
 Recycling of Ships
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16. Main committees of IMO:
 Maritime Safety Committee
 Marine Environmental Protection Committee
 Legal Committee
 Technical Co-operation committee
 Facilitation committee
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17. Functions of MSC
 AIDS TO NAVIGATION
 CONSTRUCTION & EQUIPMENT OF VESSEL
 SAFE MANNING
 COLLISION PREVENTION RULES
 DANGEROUS CARGO HANDLING
 MARITIME SAFETY POLICIES
 HYDROGRAPHIC INFORMATION
 LOG BOOK AND NAVIGATIONAL RECORDS
 CASUALTY INVESTIGATION, SALVAGE & RESCUE
 AND OTHER MATTERS CONCERNING MARITIME SAFETY.
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18. FUNCTIONS OF MEPC
 co-ordinate and administer the activities of the
Organisation concerning the prevention and control of
marine pollution particularly with respect to adoption and
amendment of regulations or other provisions, as provided
for in such conventions;
 consider appropriate measures to facilitate the
enforcement of the conventions;
 acquire scientific, technical and any other practical
information on the prevention and control of marine
pollution from ships for dissemination to the States, in
particular to developing countries and, where appropriate,
make recommendations and develop guidelines;
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19.  promote co-operation with other organisations
concerned with the prevention and control of marine
pollution;
 consider and take action with respect to any matters
that would contribute to the prevention and control of
marine pollution from ships and on any environmental
matters.
 The MEPC meets at least once a year and elect its
officers yearly and adopts its own Rules of Procedure.
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Bangladesh.

20. IMO protocol?
An instrument that makes major amendments to a
convention. The Marpol Convention of 1973 was
modified by a 1978 protocol (hence the name Marpol
73/78). The Solas and Loadline convention were both
amended for the introduction of the harmonised
system of survey and certification by means of a 1988
protocol which entered into force in 2000.
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21. IMO resolution:
The final document resulting from the agreement by the
IMO assembly or a main IMO committee, e.g. the
Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) or Marine
Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC), of
some matters such as an amendment or
recommendation. Assembly resolutions have numbers
prefixed by ‘A’ such as A.741(18) and are published in
A4-size books. Resolutions of IMO committee have
numbers such as MSC.104(73) and MEPC.88(44).
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22. What are IMO recommendations?
Non-mandatory IMO instruments providing more
specific guidelines than conventions or protocols. They
must be agreed at IMO by adoption of a resolution but
are not subject to ratification. They provide guidance
in framing national regulations and requirements.
Some IMO recommendations are in the form of codes,
guidelines or recommended practices on important
matters not considered suitable for regulation by
formal treaty instrument such as conventions or
protocols.
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23. Any Question?
Thank You!
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