IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos has welcomed the major effort made by Governments and the shipping and port industries to improve maritime security in the weeks and months leading up to the entry into force of the ISPS Code and related security measures today, 1 July 2004. Mr Mitropoulos said that, all over the world, a huge amount of work has been undertaken in the period leading up to the entry-into-force date to ensure the highest possible level of compliance.