WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF IMO ?

The main concern of IMO is to develop international treaties and other legislation concerning safety and marine pollution prevention. 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 easily obtained by IMO Publication Sections.
 

WHY SHIP-OWNERS NEED AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION ?

Merchant 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 lower, acting as havens for sub-standard shipping.

As well as, The ships violates in the ocean to discharge lubricant and other garbage in the sea which is actually dangerous for our life because we eat sea foods also. So there are many reasons that ship-owners needs an international Organization to stop the Pirate law in Ocean. So now IMO makes the laws, rules, regulations, conventions for safety of life at sea , The members states' representative sign the same and that law or convention implement on International waters.

There are list of conventions which you can obtain from IMO. (www.imo.org).

The major Conventions are SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea), MARPOL (International Convention for the prevention of the pollution from ships), International Convention of Load lines (LL), International convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers (STCW), International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of ships (ITC'69).

There are many conventions, appendix, annexure etc but above 5 are most important and base of IMO rules and regulation.

WHERE CAN YOU FIND THE FACTS ABOUT SHIPS AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS ?

There are many sources to find the facts about the ships and related organizations. Like IMO, you can know about all rules and regulations for the sailing of ship in the water, In shipping facts site, you will find more helpful information about environmental protection and trade etc, From UNCTAD you will find review about maritime Transport. But now Imo also developed its own sections for the updated information's like Performance Indicators, Strategic Plan, Casualties and Incidents, Information Resources through its Library Publications, and Its Most beneficial Section is GESIS where you can find Maritime Security, Information about Recognized Organization, Port Reception Facilities, Condition Assessment Scheme,  Port reception Facilities and Contact Points. As well as, You also can find the facts about ships till her movements in Sea by using Lloyds SEA-WEB and other data base system, through EQUASIS, INMARSAT, ITU and other organizations.

HOW IMO LEGISLATION IMPLEMENTED ?

IMO was established to adopt legislation. Governments are responsible for the  implementing it. When a Government accepts an IMO Convention it agrees to make it part of its own national law and to enforce it just like any other law. The problem is that some countries lack the expertise, experience and resources necessary to do this properly. Others perhaps put enforcement fairly low down their list of priorities.

To ensure this, IMO encouraged this process and agreements have been signed covering : 

Europe and the North Atlantic (Paris MOU)(www.parismou.org) 

Asia and the Pacific (Tokyo MOU)(www.tokyomou.org) 

Latin America (Acuerdo de Viña del Mar)(www.acuerdolatino.int.ar)  

Caribbean (Caribbean MOU)(www.caribmou.org)

West and Central Africa (Abuja MOU)(www.abujamou.org)

The Black Sea region (Black Sea MOU)(www.bsmou.org) 

The Mediterranean (Mediterranean MOU)(www.medmou.org) 

The Indian Ocean (Indian Ocean MOU)(www.iomou.org)

Arab States of the Gulf (GCC MOU-Riyadh MOU)(www.riyadhmou.org)

WHAT IS POLLUTION AND WHAT IMO DID FOR IT ?

Protecting the environment from shipping is not just about specific regulations preventing ships dumping oil, garbage, sewage, oil and hazardous and noxious substances, harmful anti-fouling systems, spread of harmful aquatic organisms in ballast water. It is also about the improvements in safety from mandatory traffic separation schemes to the International Safety Management (ISM Code) and improving seafarer training which help to prevent accidents occurring. The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) deals with all issues relating to marine environment protection as it relates to shipping.