International Maritime Organization - Structure, Functions, Mission Statement, Committees, Roles & More

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized arm of the UN. IMO is tasked with enhancing global shipping, ensuring security and safety, and guarding against ship-related ocean pollution. Standards for marine security and safety are set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). It governs every element of an international shipment, including any potential legal issues and shipping effectiveness. In this article, we will discuss the IMO's goals, roles, and functions in detail. The headquarters of IMO is located in London, United Kingdom. The Secretary General of IMO is Kitack Lim.

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What is International Maritime Organization?

The IMO ensures global shipping safety and security. The United Nations formed the IMO after the 1948 Geneva Accord. The IMO held its first conference in 1959. Currently, the IMO has 175 member nations and 3 associate members. The IMO oversees shipping safety and preventing ship pollution. An assembly of members governs the IMO. A council of elected members manages finances. Five committees backed by subcommittees do the IMO's work. Other UN agencies observe IMO sessions as observers. A permanent secretariat of member representatives serves as the backbone. Members elect a secretary-general regularly. The secretariat has departments for marine safety, environment protection and conferences.

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International Origins & Legislative Mandate

The IMO was established in 1948 (originally as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization) and began functioning in 1959. It evolved to become the UN’s specialized agency for maritime affairs, operating under the UN’s Economic and Social Council. Its core mandate is to develop comprehensive guidelines for maritime safety, environmental protection, and legal facilitation in shipping.

Organizational Structure of the International Maritime Organization

The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), the Technical Cooperation Committee (TCC), the Legal Committee (LC), and the Facilitation Committee (FC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are the IMO committees that deal structurally with maritime issues.

Structure of IMO

• Assembly: All 176 member states (as of 2025) convene biennially to set budgets and policy direction.
• Council: A 40-member executive organ elected by the Assembly; oversees operations between sessions.
• Secretariat: Headed by Secretary-General Arsenio Domínguez (since January 2024), supported by ~300 international staff.

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Functions of the International Maritime Organization

• Like every other UN body, the IMO functions largely as a secretariat, facilitating meetings of member nations to enable decision-making on all maritime issues.
• The conventions, which member states ratify to comply with, and revisions to the same and related regulations introduce the binding document.
• Create and uphold a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping.
• Maintaining the security and safety of ships.
• Managing shipping-related environmental risks.
• Managing legal issues about marine cases.
• Offering technological assistance.
• To increase shipping’s overall effectiveness.

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Mission Statement of IMO

• As a specialized organization of the United Nations, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has the mandate to advance cooperative shipping that is safe, secure, ecologically responsible, effective, and sustainable.
• Adopting the highest practical standards for maritime safety and security, navigational effectiveness, prevention, and control of ship pollution, as well as taking into account relevant legal issues and effectively implementing IMO instruments with a view to their universal and uniform application, will be necessary to achieve this.

Technical Committees of IMO

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) conducts its technical work through five central Committees, which are as follows:

• The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC).
• The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).
• The Legal Committee.
• The Technical Cooperation Committee focuses on capacity building.
• The Facilitation Committee is dedicated to streamlining documentation and formalities in international shipping.

IMO executes technical work through five main committees—MSC, MEPC, Legal, Technical Cooperation, and Facilitation—each supported by subcommittees, crafting and updating pivotal navigation, safety, environmental, and legal conventions (e.g., SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW).

The Role of the IMO in Regulating Shipping

• The basic objective of the IMO is to establish and uphold a thorough regulatory framework for shipping.
• Various laws issued by the IMO heavily regulate the shipping sector.
• Every element of shipping, including the price of maritime trade, is significantly impacted by the regulations or conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
• Over 90% of world trade is carried out by ship, and 80% is valued.

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Four Pillars of International Maritime Organization

The main objective is to improve ships' safety, operation, and the lives of people on board. Also, protecting the marine environment against pollution and accidental damage caused by routine activities is the goal of the IMO.

The four pillars of the International Maritime Organization are as follows:

Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)

• The safety of the crew and other passengers aboard ships is one of the key concerns of the business, and SOLAS, or Safety of Life at Sea, is often recognized as the most significant of all international conventions.
• The 14 chapters of the SOLAS Convention that are now in effect comprise various laws and rules that outline the minimal safety requirements for developing, outfitting, and operating commercial ships.
• Not all ships are covered by the SOLAS Convention. Only vessels operating in international waters (except warships, cargo ships under 500 GT, non-propelled ships, wooden ships, non-commercial pleasure yachts, and fishing vessels) will be subject to the SOLAS regulations.

Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW)

• For all levels of staff and crew on board a ship, including masters, officers, and watch people, the STCW, or Criteria of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, establishes basic qualifying standards.
• Through a shared agreement that guarantees equivalent training programs are completed internationally by all seafarers of equal position and rank.
• STCW is assisting in furthering the achievement of these aims. The STCW Convention stipulates that an authorized provider must deliver certification-related training.
• All crew members are subject to STCW regulations, which apply to ships over 24 meters long.
• Some positions require specific credentials, sea time, and refresher training. Contrary to previous conventions, the STCW applies to ships from non-party states when they enter ports of convention-party states.

The International Convention for Pollution Prevention from Ships (MARPOL)

• The principal international marine convention addressing the prevention of environmental pollution by ships is called MARPOL, or the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution by Ships. MARPOL addresses both normal operating and unintentional pollution avoidance.
• The MARPOL Convention also establishes guidelines for handling, stowing, and transporting hazardous material.
• UNLIKE SOLAS, the MARPOL Convention applies to any vessel, regardless of flag or place of operation, flying the flag of a State that is a party to the Convention or conducting business there.
• The provisions of MARPOL must be incorporated via national legislation in signatory flag states.

Maritime Labour Convention (MLC)

• The MLC, or Maritime Labour Convention, sets minimum requirements for seafarers on ships.
• The extensive Convention offers a single, universally regarded source of rules and direction.
• The MLC guarantees mariners the following basic working and residential conditions:

Employment Agreements, Pay, Levels for Manning, Rest Periods and Leave Rights, Repatriation, Compensation for a Lost Ship or a Launch, Development of Career and Skills

• Under the MLC, sailors must also be taught and qualified to undertake aboard responsibilities (training must comply with IMO requirements), complete personal safety instruction, and rules requiring a minimum age and medical certification.
• The MLC also mandates establishing a system for reporting workplace illnesses and accidents.
• The MLC does not cover fishing boats, warships, and auxiliary vessels, nor are seafarers working on ships that operate in inland or protected seas.

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FAL Convention

A united, worldwide strategy for facilitation is essential for the success of international shipping. The FAL Convention is an international agreement that serves this function.

The FAL Convention has been in effect since 1967. However, governments regularly revise and update it during the IMO’s FAL Committee meetings, which typically occur once a year at the organization’s London headquarters.

Objectives of the FAL Convention

Following are some of the objectives of the FAL Convention:

• All national authorities should now have policies to facilitate the electronic transmission of this information under the requirement for electronic data interchange.
• The Facilitation Convention encourages using a “single window” for data, allowing all information required by public authorities concerning the arrival, stay, and departure of ships, people, and cargo to be supplied via a single site without duplication.
• Attaining the most influential maritime/shipping system while ensuring that ships, cargo, and passengers may travel through ports without incident.

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India and International Maritime Organization(IMO)

India's limited participation and activity within the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have been evident, particularly with the recent regulation requiring merchant ships to use gasoline with sulfur levels below 0.5% from January 1, 2020. The costs of implementing such regulations primarily fall on emerging nations like India. The country's refineries and others globally need help to meet demand, resulting in rising freight costs and affecting retail prices. The insufficiency of India's presence and interventions in the IMO can be seen through several points, including its welcoming in 1959 and being listed among the ten nations with the most significant interest in international seaborne trade. Although India ratified the Hong Kong Convention in 2009 to ensure safe and environmentally sound ship recycling, the convention still needs to be in effect, indicating India's lack of proactive involvement in advancing its national interests in the IMO. India's recent accession to the Hong Kong Convention may benefit its ship recycling industry.

Hong Kong Ship Recycling Convention – IMO & India’s Role

The Hong Kong Convention for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling, adopted in 2009, officially entered into force on 26 June 2025. The Convention mandates shipowners, shipyards, recycling facilities, and states to ensure safe practices through design, recycling plans, inspections, and certification. India ratified it in 2019 and already has ~115 of its ~130 recycling yards compliant, signaling strong domestic compliance and global leadership.

India’s Strategic Engagement with IMO

India has strengthened its role by securing a Category B seat on the IMO Council and being re-elected, reflecting growing influence in maritime policy. India also proposed establishing a South Asian Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Maritime Transport (SACE-SMarT)—a regional initiative aligned with IMO’s capacity-building goals.

Conclusion

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized arm of the United Nations. It is tasked with enhancing maritime pollution, prevention, and the safety and security of international commerce. Shipping, as a truly global industry, depends on adopting, enforcing, and accepting international norms and regulations. By the way, this happens in the IMO.

With 174 member states and three associate members, the IMO is headquartered in London and employs about 300 foreign personnel. The high-level vision for the marine industry and the Marine 2050 strategy for the United Kingdom were released in 2018.

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