1. IMO Organisation

3. History
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

4. Governing Body 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)

5. Working Organization TECHNICAL COMMITTEES: OTHER COMMITTEES:
Maritime Safety Committee (MSC)
Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC)
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.

6. Working Organization
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”.

7. Working Organization
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 MEPC meets twice every even year (April and October) and once (July), in uneven year (year of Assembly).

8. Working Organization OTHER COMMITTEES: OTHER COMMITTES
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 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.
OTHER COMMITTES

9. Working Organization
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)

10. Working Organization 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).

11. MARITIME SAFETY DIVISION
Working Organization
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

12. MARINE ENVIRONMENT DIVISION
Working Organization
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

13. Inter Governmental Organizations Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs)
Working Process
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)

14. Working Process
Conventions
Codes
Resolutions
Circulars

15. Conventions : Safety SOLAS 1960 SOLAS 1974 LOAD LINES 1966
TONNAGE 1969
INMARSAT
TORREMOLINOS 1977
STCW 1978

16. Conventions : Pollution
MARPOL 73/78
HIGHSEAS 1969
LDC 1972
OPRC 1990 and HNS PROTOCOL
AFS 2001
BWM 2004

17. IMO – Other Matters 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

18. IMO - Codes IMDG Code, 1965 BC Code, 1965 BCH Code, 1972
Gas Code, 1975
MODU Code, 1979
SPS Code, 1983

19. IMO - Codes 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

20. IMO – Technical Assistance
To help developing countries to ratify and implement IMO Conventions
Technical Co-operation Committee
Training and Model Courses
World Maritime University (Malmoe)