Course on Classification and

Certification of Yacht

Lloyd
Lloyds Register Rules and Regulations for
the Classification of Special Service Craft
IMO HISTORY AND STRUCTURE
STRUCTURE

Simone Parizzi
Surveyor
Viareggio Office

IMO HISTORY & STRUCTURE

The IMO is a United Nation Agency established in a conference held in Geneva in 1948
known in the first time with the name of IMCO (Inter Governmental Maritime
Consultative Organization) until 1982 when assumed the actual name of IMO was the
first international body devoted exclusively to maritime matters.
The IMO Convention entered into force in 1958 and the organization met for the first
time in 1959 and the headquarter is located in London
The most important objectives of IMO have been the improvement of maritime safety
and prevention of marine pollution. It is responsible for developing new regulations and
procedures for the shipping industry or revising existing ones. When the regulations or
the procedures have been accepted by Member States they will incorporated in the
national legislation

IMO HISTORY & STRUCTURE

At present the IMO consist of 167 Member States, also named Flag States and three
Associate Member as shown in the picture below

IMO HISTORY & STRUCTURE

Most of the IMOs work is carried out by a number of Committees and Subcommittees.
The most senior of these is the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) and it is
responsible for issues relating to SOLAS and for STCW (International Convenion
for Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping 1995)
The other much important sub-committee is the Maritime Environment
Protection Committee (MEPC) established in 1973 and raised to full
constitutional status in 1985. It is responsible for the coordination of IMOs
activities in the prevention and control of pollution of marine environment from
ships
The MSC and MEPC have nine sub-committees that report to them and develop
amendaments (Resolutions and Circulars) to the SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW
Conventions and othjer IMO measures as necessary

IMO HISTORY & STRUCTURE

The nine Sub-committees of MSC and MEPC

IMO HISTORY & STRUCTURE

Together with the above mentioned committees are also present the following committees:

1.

Legal committee responsible for considering any legal matter within the scope of the IMO

2.

Technical Co-operation Committee providing technical assistance on maritime matters

3.

Facilitation Committee responsible for activities and functions that relate to facilitating
international maritime traffic

DEVELOPING AND COMING INTO FORCE OF LEGISLATION

The figure below shows the process required to create or amend IMO Conventions
In the past to accept a convention it was required the acceptance of 2/3 of the Contracting states
or 25 States whose merchant fleet comprised not less than 50 % of the world gross tonnage. This
procedure required a too long time therefore today is accepted the procedure of Tacit
acceptance

IMO CONVENTIONS
AFS (International Convention on the control of Harmful Anti-fouling System) 2001
BWM (International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water and
Sediments ) 2004
COLREG (International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea)
CSC (International Convention for Safe Containers) 1972
LOAD LINE 66/88
MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution fro Ships)
SFV (International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels [The Torremolinos Convention])
SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea)
Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally
Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ship 2009
STCW (International Convention on Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for
Seafarers)
TONNAGE 1969