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In 1948, an international conference in Geneva adopted a convention formally establishing International Maritime Organization (IMO)
(the original name was the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization, or IMCO,
but the name was changed in 1982 to IMO).
Its main task has been to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework
for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation,
maritime security, the efficiency of shipping, and the prevention of accidents including standards for ship design, construction, equipment, operation and manning.
The most important treaty addressing maritime safety was the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
Its initial version was adopted in 1914.
The Titanic disaster spawned the first international safety of life at sea - SOLAS - convention in 1912.
The 1960 Convention - which was adopted on 17 June 1960 and entered into force on 26 May 1965 - was the first major task for IMO
after the Organization's creation and it represented a considerable step forward in modernizing regulations
and in keeping pace with technical developments in the shipping industry.
The 1974 Convention has been updated and amended on numerous occasions.
The Convention in force today is sometimes referred to as SOLAS, 1974, as amended.
Many other key treaties, such as
the International Convention on Load Lines of 1966,
the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships of 1969,
the International Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea (COLREGs) of 1972,
the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) of 1973/78,
the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) of 1978,
the Search and Rescue (SAR) of 1979 which entered into force on June 22, 1985,
the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) of 1988 which enterend into force on Feb. 1, 1992, and
the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) of 1990 which became international law in May 1995,
just to name a few were formulated and entered into force by IMO in later years.
Download  for the complete list.
Today, IMO is the specialized agency of the United Nations with 169 Member States and three Associate Members.
It is based in the United Kingdom with around 300 international staff.
Following are some of its recommendations on performance standards pertaining to the merchant ships.
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CODE FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF MARINE CASUALTIES AND INCIDENTS
Despite the best endeavours of the Organization, casualties and incidents resulting
in loss of life, loss of ships and pollution of the marine environment continue
to occur. The safety of seafarers and passengers and the protection of the marine
environment can be enhanced by timely and accurate reports identifying
the circumstances and causes of marine casualties and incidents. This
can lead to greater awareness of casualty causation and result in remedial
measures, including better training, for the purpose of enhancing safety
of life at sea and protection of the marine environment . . .
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GUIDELINES FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF HUMAN FACTORS IN MARINE CASUALTIES AND INCIDENTS
The systematic investigation of human factors in marine casualties and
incidents allows the development of effective analysis and preventive
actions. Today, Ships operate in a highly dynamic environment; frequently
the people on board follow a set routine of shift work disrupted by arrival
at, working in, and sailing from port. This is an existence which involves
living in the place of work for prolonged periods, creating a unique form
of working life which almost certainly increases the risk of human error.
These guidelines provide the accident/incident investigator a systmeatic and uniform
approach and reveal the underlined causes . . .
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INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CODE FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF SHIPS AND FOR POLLUTION PREVENTION CODE
The purpose of this International Management Code for the Safe Operation
of Ships and for Pollution Prevention (International Safety Management (ISM)
Code) is to provide an international standard for the safe management and
operation of ships and for pollution prevention to the marine environment.
No two shipping companies
or shipowners are the same, and that ships operate under a wide range of
different conditions, the Code is based on general principles and objectives.
The Resolution A.741(XVIII) provides such guidelines to shipowners and masters
. . .
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NAVIGATIONAL AND METEOROLOGICAL WARNINGS AND URGENT INFORMATION TO SHIPS (NAVTEX) MANUAL
NAVTEX means the system for the broadcast and automatic reception of maritime
safety information by means of narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy. It
provides shipping with navigational and meteorological warnings and urgent
information to the registered ships, by automatic display or print-out
from a dedicated receiver. It is suitable for use in all sizes and types
of ships. In the GMDSS, a NAVTEX receiving capability is part of the mandatory
equipment which is required to be carried in certain vessels under the provisions
of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974,
as amended in 1988 . . .
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PROCEDURES FOR PORT STATE CONTROL
The need for port States to not only monitor compliance with applicable
maritime safety and pollution-prevention standards, but also to include
in their endeavours an assessment of the ability of ships' crew to perform
their
duties in respect of operational requirements with regards to state and
foreign ships in their ports. The efforts by port States in these areas
contribute to enhanced maritime safety and prevention of marine pollution.
Resolution A.787(XIX) is intended to provide basic guidance on conduct of
port State control inspections and afford consistency in the conduct of
these inspections, the recognition of deficiencies of a ship, its equipment,
or
its crew, and
the application of control procedures . . .
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IMO STANDARD MARINE COMMUNICATION PHRASES
The standardization of language and terminology used in such communications
would assist the safe operation of ships and contribute to greater safety
of navigation. English has been widely used on the bridge as the working language
for bridge-to-bridge
and bridge-to-shore safety communications as well as for communications
on board between the pilot and bridge watchkeeping personnel unless those directly
involved in the communications speak a common language other than English.
In consequence the Standard Marine Navigational Vocabulary (SMNV) was
developed, adopted in 1977 and amended in 1985 . . .
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GUIDELINES FOR THE ONBOARD OPERATIONAL USE OF SHIPBORNE AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS (AIS)
The SOLAS Convention requires AIS to be fitted on ships other than ships owned/operated
by governments, small craft and fishing boats through a phased implementation
period spanning from 1st July 2002 to 1st July 2008. The purpose of AIS is to
help identify vessels; assist in target tracking; simplify information exchange
(e.g. reduce verbal mandatory ship reporting); and provide additional information
to assist situation awareness. It is equivalent to the Air Traffic Controlling
System. Each ship provides her ID, position, course, heading, speed... and receives
information from other vessels of the same information as well as other information
pertaining to port data, hazards in the area . . .
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