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54-555: The Hong Kong International Convention for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships , or Hong Kong Convention , is a multilateral convention adopted in 2009, which has not entered into force. The conference that created the convention was attended by 63 countries, and overseen by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The convention has been designed to improve the health and safety of current ship breaking practices. Ship breaking

108-687: A Secretary-General. The current Secretary-General is Arsenio Dominguez who took office for a four year term on 1 January 2024, having been elected in July 2023. The previous Secretary-General was Kitack Lim from South Korea elected for a four-year term at the 114th session of the IMO Council in June 2015 and at the 29th session of the IMO's Assembly in November 2015. His mandate started on 1 January 2016. At

162-604: A large purpose-built building facing the River Thames on the Albert Embankment , in Lambeth , London. The organisation moved into its new headquarters in late 1982, with the building being officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 May 1983. The architects of the building were Douglass Marriott, Worby & Robinson. The front of the building is dominated by a seven-metre high, ten-tonne bronze sculpture of

216-663: A member of the IMO, a state ratifies a multilateral treaty known as the Convention on the International Maritime Organization. As of 2024, there are 176 member states of the IMO, which includes 175 of the UN member states plus the Cook Islands . The first state to ratify the convention was Canada in 1948. These are the current members with the year they joined: The three associate members of

270-536: A need for further improvements in regards to oil pollution prevention at sea. This became increasingly apparent in 1967, when the tanker Torrey Canyon spilled 120,000 tons of crude oil when it ran aground entering the English Channel The Torrey Canyon grounding was the largest oil pollution incident recorded up to that time. This incident prompted a series of new conventions. IMO held an emergency session of its council to deal with

324-409: A resolution targeting "dark fleet" tankers that form a risk by undertaking illegal and unsafe activities at sea. Primarily working for Iran and Russia to breach international sanctions, the tankers, many of which are elderly and unreliable, often undertake mid ocean transfers in an attempt to evade sanctions. The resolution calls upon flag states to “adhere to measures which lawfully prohibit or regulate”

378-603: Is also a non-member. Taiwan is neither a member of the IMO nor of the UN, although it has a major shipping industry. IMO is the source of approximately 60 legal instruments that guide the regulatory development of its member states to improve safety at sea, facilitate trade among seafaring states and protect the maritime environment. The most well known is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), as well as International Convention for

432-561: Is considered to be "amongst the most dangerous of occupations, with unacceptably high levels of fatalities, injuries and work-related diseases" by the ILO as large ships are often beached and then dismantled by hand by workers with very little personal protective equipment (PPE). This is most common in Asia, with India , Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan holding the largest ship breaking yards . The Hong Kong Convention recognised that ship recycling

486-558: Is one of few industrial areas that still commonly uses non- metric units such as the nautical mile (nmi) for distance and knots (kn) for speed or velocity. In 1982, IMCO was renamed as the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Throughout its existence, the IMO has continued to produce new and updated conventions across a wide range of maritime issues covering not only safety of life and marine pollution but also encompassing safe navigation, search and rescue, wreck removal, tonnage measurement, liability and compensation, ship recycling,

540-457: Is supported by a permanent secretariat of employees who are representative of the organisation's members. The secretariat is composed of a Secretary-General who is periodically elected by the assembly, and various divisions such as those for marine safety, environmental protection and a conference section. IMO was established in 1948 following a UN conference in Geneva to bring the regulation of

594-573: Is the most environmentally sound way to dispose of a ship at the end of its life, as most of the ship's materials can be reused. However, it sees current methods as unacceptable. The work sees many injuries and fatalities to workers, as they lack the correct safety equipment to handle the large ship correctly as it is dismantled and most vessels contain a large amount of hazardous materials such as asbestos , PCBs , TBT , and CFCs , which can also lead to highly life-threatening diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. In advance of ratification of

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648-457: Is to be done by developing best practices in the design, construction and safe operation of tankers, barges and offshore vessels and their interfaces with terminals and considering human factors in everything done. OCIMF was formed at a meeting in London on 8 April 1970. It was initially the oil industry 's response to increasing public awareness of marine pollution , particularly by oil, after

702-574: The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil (OILPOL) 1954. In January 1959, IMO began to maintain and promote the 1954 OILPOL Convention. Under the guidance of IMO, the convention was amended in 1962, 1969, and 1971. The first meetings of the newly formed IMCO were held in London in 1959. As oil trade and industry developed, many people in the industry began to recognise

756-989: The International Parcel Tankers Association (IPTA), Intertanko , the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF). The Transitional Measures are also supported by the national shipowners' associations of Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Liberia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States. The EU Ship Recycling Regulation entered into force on 30 December 2013. Although this regulation closely follows

810-545: The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG). The IMO has also enacted a Port state control (PSC) authority, allowing domestic maritime authorities such as coast guards to inspect foreign-flag ships calling at ports of the many port states. Memoranda of Understanding (protocols) were signed by some countries unifying Port State Control procedures among the signatories. Conventions, Codes and Regulations: Recent initiatives at

864-491: The Torrey Canyon incident.e Governments had reacted to this incident by debating the development of international conventions and national legislation and the oil industry sought to play its part by making its professional expertise available and its views known to governmental and inter-governmental bodies. The role of OCIMF has broadened over the intervening period. Most recently the organisation has contributed to

918-535: The "appropriate international body to address greenhouse gas emissions from ships engaged in international trade". Nonetheless, there has been widespread criticism of the IMO's relative inaction since the conclusion of the Paris conference, with the initial data-gathering step of a three-stage process to reduce maritime greenhouse emissions expected to last until 2020. In 2018, the Initial IMO Strategy on

972-463: The 176th Member State of the organization. Most UN member states that are not members of IMO are landlocked countries. These include Afghanistan, Andorra, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Eswatini, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The Federated States of Micronesia , an island-nation in the Pacific Ocean,

1026-663: The 31st session of the Assembly in 2019 he was re-appointed for a second term, ending on 31 December 2023. The technical work of the International Maritime Organisation is carried out by five principal Committees. These include: It is regulated in the Article 28(a) of the Convention on the IMO: ARTICLE 28 (a) The Maritime Safety Committee shall consider any matter within the scope of

1080-492: The Agreement. Oil Companies International Marine Forum OCIMF's aim is to ensure that the global marine industry causes no harm to people or the environment. OCIMF's mission is lead the global marine industry in the promotion of safe and environmentally responsible transportation of crude oil, oil products, petrochemicals and gas, and to drive the same values in the management of related offshore marine operations. This

1134-647: The Assembly or the Council, or any duty within the scope of this Article which may be assigned to it by or under any other international instrument and accepted by the Organization. (c) Having regard to the provisions of Article 25, the Maritime Safety Committee, upon request by the Assembly or the Council or, if it deems such action useful in the interests of its own work, shall maintain such close relationship with other bodies as may further

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1188-593: The EU discussion on tanker safety and the draft EU Directive on Environmental Liability, and has provided support to the European Union (EU) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) debate on the accelerated phasing out of single-hull tankers and on the carriage of heavy grades of oil. OCIMF was incorporated in Bermuda in 1977 and a branch office was established in London primarily to maintain contact with

1242-751: The Executive Committee are elected at the Annual General Meeting. Present chairman is Mark Ross from Chevron Shipping Company. A full-time Director, currently Rob Drysdale from ExxonMobil, is in charge of a small permanent Secretariat located in London. This Secretariat comprises full-time employees and technical staff seconded from member companies. The work of OCIMF is carried out through four main Committees General Purposes Committee (GPC), Ports and Terminals Committee, Offshore Marine Committee and

1296-617: The Hong Kong Convention, the Industry Working Group on Ship Recycling issued Guidelines on Transitional Measures for Shipowners Selling Ships for Recycling . The Inventory of Hazardous Materials has been designed to try to minimise the dangers of these hazards. The Convention defines a hazard as: “any material or substance which is liable to create hazards to human health and/or the environment ". All vessels over 500 gross tons (GT) have to comply with

1350-690: The Hong Kong convention, there are important differences. The Regulation sets out a number of requirements for European ships, European ship owners, ship recycling facilities willing to recycle European ships, and the relevant competent authorities or administrations. It also requires the Commission to adopt a number of acts implementing the Regulation (in particular the European List of ship recycling facilities authorized to recycle ships flying

1404-636: The IMO are the Faroe Islands , Hong Kong and Macau . In 1961, the territories of Sabah and Sarawak , which had been included through the participation of United Kingdom, became joint associate members. In 1963 they became part of Malaysia. The most recent members to join were Armenia and Nauru (which became IMO members in January and May 2018, respectively). Botswana , joined the IMO in October 2021. On 27 February 2024, Kyrgyzstan became

1458-827: The IMO facilitated the adoption of the International Grain Code . In December 2002, new amendments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention were enacted by the IMO. These amendments gave rise to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code , which went into effect on 1 July 2004. The concept of the code is to provide layered and redundant defences against smuggling, terrorism, piracy, stowaways, etc. The ISPS Code required most ships and port facilities engaged in international trade to establish and maintain strict security procedures as specified in ship and port specific Ship Security Plans and Port Facility Security Plans. The IMO headquarters are located in

1512-659: The IMO have included amendments to SOLAS , which among other things, included upgraded fire protection standards on passenger ships , the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seamen(STCW) which establishes basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers and to the Convention on the Prevention of Maritime Pollution ( MARPOL 73/78 ), which required double hulls on all tankers . The IMO's e-Navigation system has harmonised marine navigation systems with supporting shore services, as available to seamen and shore-side traffic services called. An e-Navigation strategy

1566-492: The IMO. OCIMF has 110 members. OCIMF’s committee structure comprises the Executive Committee at its head and four senior standing committees with the power to establish sub-committees or forums as necessary. The Executive Committee is the senior policymaking Committee of OCIMF. The membership of the Executive Committee is limited to a maximum of 15 members plus the Chairman and Vice Chairmen who are ex officio members. Members of

1620-649: The Legal Committee. Sub-Committees, Forums, work groups and task forces composed of members' representatives and assisted by the Secretariat. OCIMF produces industry guidance for oil tankers and oil terminals , including the leading industry title ' International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals ' (the 6th edition was published in 2020). The OCIMF along with the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO) developed

1674-532: 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 investigation, salvage and rescue, and any other matters directly affecting maritime safety. (b) The Maritime Safety Committee shall provide machinery for performing any duties assigned to it by this Convention,

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1728-869: The Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). Others include the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC). It also functions as a depository of yet to be ratified treaties, such as the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 1996 ( HNS Convention ) and Nairobi International Convention of Removal of Wrecks (2007). IMO regularly enacts regulations, which are broadly enforced by national and local maritime authorities in member countries, such as

1782-672: The Secretary General". In advance of ratification of the Hong Kong Convention, the Industry Working Group on Ship Recycling in 2009 issued the first edition of Guidelines on Transitional Measures for Shipowners Selling Ships for Recycling . These are supported by maritime organizations: International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), Intercargo ,

1836-624: The Union flag). For the Inventory of Hazardous Materials required by the EU regulation, there are additional substances listed as prohibited. International Maritime Organization The International Maritime Organization ( IMO ; French : Organisation maritime internationale ; Spanish : Organización Marítima Internacional ) is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating maritime transport . The IMO

1890-639: The bow of a ship, with a lone seafarer maintaining a look-out. The previous headquarters of IMO were at 101 Piccadilly (now the home of the Embassy of Japan ), prior to that at 22 Berners Street in Fitzrovia and originally in Chancery Lane . The IMO consists of an Assembly, a Council and five main Committees. The organization is led by a Secretary-General. A number of Sub-Committees support

1944-411: The convention comes into force, or prior to being recycled if this occurs before the five-year period. The inventory will remain with a vessel throughout its lifespan, being updated as all new installations enter the ship, as these may potentially contain hazards. The presence of the inventory will then ensure the safety of crew members during the vessel's working life, and also the safety of workers during

1998-399: The convention once it comes into force. Each party that does wish to comply must restrict the use of hazardous materials on all ships that fly the flag of that party. New ships must all carry an Inventory of Hazardous Materials. The inventory will list all 'hazardous materials' on board the vessel, including their amounts and locations. Existing ships must comply no later than five years after

2052-447: The efficiency of shipping. IMO is governed by an assembly of members which meets every two years. Its finance and organization is administered by a council of 40 members elected from the assembly. The work of IMO is conducted through five committees and these are supported by technical subcommittees. Other UN organisations may observe the proceedings of the IMO. Observer status is granted to qualified non-governmental organisations. IMO

2106-565: The environmental threat caused by routine ship duties such as the cleaning of oil cargo tanks or the disposal of engine room wastes. By tonnage, the aforementioned was a bigger problem than accidental pollution. The most significant development to come out of this conference was the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (MARPOL). It covers not only accidental and operational oil pollution but also different types of pollution by chemicals, goods in packaged form, sewage, garbage and air pollution. The original MARPOL

2160-401: The management of ships which will ensure that agreed operational procedures are in place and followed by the ship and shore-side staff. The MSC and MEPC are assisted in their work by a number of sub-committees which are open to all Member States. The committees are: The names of the IMO sub-committees were changed in 2013. Prior to 2013 there were nine Sub-Committees as follows: To become

2214-564: The mid to late 20th century, including the International Convention on Load Lines in 1966 (replacing an earlier 1930 Convention), the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea in 1972 (also replacing an earlier set of rules) and the STCW Convention in 1978. In 1975, the assembly of the IMO decided that future conventions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and other IMO instruments should use SI units only. As such, sea transportation

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2268-550: The need to readdress regulations pertaining to maritime pollution. In 1969, the IMO Assembly decided to host an international gathering in 1973 dedicated to this issue. The goal at hand was to develop an international agreement for controlling general environmental contamination by ships when out at sea. During the next few years IMO brought to the forefront a series of measures designed to prevent large ship accidents and to minimise their effects. It also detailed how to deal with

2322-579: The purposes of the Organization The Maritime Safety Committee is the most senior of these and is the main Technical Committee; it oversees the work of its nine sub-committees and initiates new topics. One broad topic it deals with is the effect of the human element on casualties ; this work has been put to all of the sub-committees, but meanwhile, the Maritime Safety Committee has developed a code for

2376-510: The recycling process. The convention was open for signature between 1 September 2009 and 31 August 2010, and remained open for accession afterwards. It will enter into force two years after "15 states, representing 40% of the world merchant shipping by gross tonnage, and on average 3% of recycling tonnage for the previous 10 years, have either signed it without reservation as to ratification , acceptance or approval, or have deposited instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with

2430-466: The reduction of GHG emissions from ships was adopted. In 2021, The New York Times wrote that the IMO "has repeatedly delayed and watered down climate regulations". The IMO has also taken action to mitigate the global effects of ballast water and sediment discharge, through the 2004 Ballast Water Management Convention , which entered into force in September 2017. In December 2023 the IMO adopted

2484-681: The safety of shipping into an international framework. Hitherto such international conventions had been initiated piecemeal, notably the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS), first adopted in 1914 following the Titanic disaster. Under the name of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO), IMO's first task was to update the SOLAS convention; the resulting 1960 convention

2538-416: The technical basis for the reduction mechanisms that may form part of a future IMO regime to control greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, and a draft of the actual reduction mechanisms themselves, for further consideration by IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). The IMO participated in the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris seeking to establish itself as

2592-608: The training and certification of seafarers, and piracy. More recently SOLAS has been amended to bring an increased focus on maritime security through the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code . The IMO has also increased its focus on smoke emissions from ships. In 1983, the IMO established the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden and also facilitated the adoption of the IGC Code . In 1991,

2646-419: The transfer of cargoes at sea, known as ship-to-ship transfers. The IMO Cape Town Agreement is an international International Maritime Organization legal instrument established in 2012, that sets out minimum safety requirements for fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over or equivalent in gross tons. As of 2022, the Agreement is not yet in force but the IMO is encouraging more member States to ratify

2700-456: The work of the main technical committees. The governing body of the International Maritime Organization is the Assembly which meets every two years. In between Assembly sessions a Council, consisting of 40 Member States elected by the Assembly, acts as the governing body. The technical work of the International Maritime Organization is carried out by a series of Committees. The Secretariat consists of some 300 international civil servants headed by

2754-580: Was established following agreement at a UN conference held in Geneva in 1948 and the IMO came into existence ten years later, meeting for the first time on 17 March 1958. Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, the IMO, in 2024, has 176 Member States and three Associate Members. The IMO's primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit today includes maritime safety , environmental concerns, legal matters , technical co-operation, maritime security and

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2808-586: Was ratified in 2005, and an implementation plan was developed through three IMO sub-committees. The plan was completed by 2014 and implemented in November of that year. IMO has also served as a key partner and enabler of US international and interagency efforts to establish maritime domain awareness . The IMO has a role in tackling international climate change . The First Intersessional Meeting of IMO's Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships took place in Oslo, Norway (23–27 June 2008), tasked with developing

2862-518: Was signed on 17 February 1973, but did not come into force due to lack of ratifications. The current convention is a combination of 1973 Convention and the 1978 Protocol. It entered into force on 2 October 1983. As of January 2018, 156 states, representing 99.42 per cent of the world's shipping tonnage, are signatories to the MARPOL convention. As well as updates to MARPOL and SOLAS, the IMO facilitated several updated international maritime conventions in

2916-472: Was subsequently recast and updated in 1974 and it is that convention that has been subsequently modified and updated to adapt to changes in safety requirements and technology. Since 1978, every last Thursday of September has been celebrated as World Maritime Day, commemorating the establishment of the International Maritime Organisation in 1958. When IMCO began its operations in 1959 certain other pre-existing conventions were brought under its aegis, most notable

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