Imo Conventions News

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted crucial new guidelines to protect seafarers from unfair treatment when detained in foreign jurisdictions in connection with alleged crimes committed at sea. The guidelines, adopted by the Legal Committee during its meeting in London from 24 to 28 March, aim to protect seafarers’ rights and ensure they are treated with fairness and dignity, no matter where they are in the world. Key aspects of the guidelines relate to due process…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has issued its annual Flag State Performance Table for 2024/25, voicing concerns about four newcomers.The Table provides an analysis of the extent to which flag State administrations adhere to their responsibilities to follow global standards and regulations governing safety, environmental protection and the employment conditions of seafarers – as adopted by the IMO and ILO.The latest ICS Table confirms that the vast majority of the global shipping industry is registered with flag States that strictly enforce global regulations…

A book detailing the history of the IMO has been published to mark 75 years since the adoption of the IMO Convention, creating for the first time a global body to promote the safety and security of shipping and the protection of the marine environment.The IMO Convention entered into force in 1958 and the new Organization met for the first time the following year. The IMO's first task was to adopt a new version of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).“Safer shipping…

The IMO and the Republic of Korea have signed a suite of agreements to formally establish and boost the IMO-Republic of Korea Sustainable Maritime Transport Cooperation (SMART-C) program.The goal of the KRW 25.5 billion (approximately $20 million) SMART-C program is to promote sustainable maritime transport systems and a sustainable marine environment by building knowledge and developing technical capacity in developing countries via long-term thematic projects.This Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding will ensure long-term programming of several technical cooperation projects.

Lloyd’s Register has reminded the industry that the Member Authorities of the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control (PSC) are launching a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on fire safety from September 1 to November 30, 2023.The Member Authorities of the Black Sea Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control and the Member Authorities of the Acuerdo Vina Del Mar 1992 are concurrently also launching a CIC.The purpose of the campaign…

The Danish company Bawat A/S, specializing in the treatment of ballast water aboard ships and in ports, has just finalized the provision of capital equal to more than $2.94m from new and existing shareholders.The new shareholders include Selfinvest Family Office as a key stakeholder, and previous TORM CEO and current SKULD chairman Klaus Kjærulff. Former Sondex owner Åge Søndergaard of SonFlow A/S joins the new shareholders. Their engagement represents considerable support of…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaties need to be implemented into national law so that they can be applied on ships flying the flag of a particular country and so that those countries can implement effective port State control and comply with other obligations under the specified IMO instruments.According to the UN body, an IMO course provides lawyers and legislative drafters with the tools they need to understand IMO treaties, how they are developed and adopted - and the implementation of those treaties into national legislation.Twenty-one participants from Latin America attended a regional workshop on the general principles of drafting maritime legislation to implement IMO Conventions…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Chile, to extend Chile's technical assistance to countries in the Caribbean region, in addition to Latin America.According to the UN body, the MoU on Technical Cooperation, signed by the Directorate General of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine (DIRECTEMAR) of the Republic of Chile, replaces earlier MoUs (signed in 2002 and 2005) and strengthens the collaboration between IMO and DIRECTEMAR for the provision of technical assistance in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region."This will particularly support the provision of experts (including Spanish-speaking experts) to deliver training in Latin America and the Caribbean…

Increased maritime traffic as well as offshore oil and gas industries in west and central Africa means more risks of oil spill in the region, pointed out International Maritime Organization (IMO).To strengthen the capability for preparedness and response of a potential oil spill, a workshop underwent in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (18-21 March).The event aimed to help participants with to ratify and effectively implement IMO conventions relating to oil pollution and liability and compensation, said the UN Body.Participants were trained on how to best transpose IMO treaties into domestic laws. The workshop also looked at the technical context…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published the latest update of its Flag State Performance Table, which can be downloaded free of charge via the ICS website.The annual update, which is also supported by the Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) and the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), provides an indication of the performance of individual flag administrations, using information available in the public domain. Since the Table was launched 15 years ago, ICS says it has been pleased by the ongoing improvement which the data has helped to demonstrate.

An important strategic objective for International Maritime Organization (IMO)  is improve the way its treaties and conventions are implemented, at the national level.Domestic implementing legislation is required but audits carried out by IMO reveal that, in many countries, it either doesn’t exist or is incomplete.To address this need, IMO offers an intensive 5-day workshop for lawyers and legislative drafters. It provides them with the tools they need to understand IMO treaties and how they are developed and adopted. The most recent such workshop was held at IMO Headquarters (1-5 October).Participants from 16 countries (Argentina, Czech Republic…

Classification society Korean Register (KR) announced that it has released the 16th version of its KR-CON software. First launched in 1997, the software program set out to help surveyors, shipbuilders and PSC officers to search for IMO instruments more accurately, quickly and conveniently. The original database program provided all IMO conventions, codes, resolutions and circulars in a CD-ROM format. Since then, KR-CON has been revised and updated 15 times and is now available in English, Korean and Chinese and is accessed on USB, via the web and a mobile application. For the 16th KR-CON, KR said it has put considerable effort into the creation of more user-friendly interface.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), fishing at sea is probably the most dangerous occupation in the world. To address this issue, a two-day regional seminar, "Joining forces in the fisheries sector: promoting safety, decent work and the fight against Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU)", has been held (21-22 March) in Manila, Philippines. International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Sandra Allnutt, Head of Marine Technology, delivered a presentation on IMO's work in promoting safety at sea. Mrs Allnutt also emphasized the longstanding cooperation between FAO and ILO through which safety recommendations have been developed and adopted on the design, construction, equipment, training and protection of fishing vessels.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published the latest version of its Flag State Performance Table, which can be downloaded free of charge via the ICS website. The Table provides a helpful indication of the performance of individual flag states worldwide, which analyses how the administrations included deliver against a number of criteria such as port state control records, ratification of international maritime Conventions and attendance at IMO meetings. This year, a new criteria on participation in the ‘IMO Member State Audit Scheme’ has been included. ICS Deputy Secretary General, Simon Bennett, remarked: “Following the entry into force of amendments to the relevant IMO Conventions, the IMO Member State Audit Scheme has become mandatory.

Throughout the maritime world, the technical regulations developed and adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are well known. Shipmasters and officers, as well as expert trainers and educators, spend many hours getting to grips with the knowledge needed to implement and impart the detailed regulations governing ship safety and security and the prevention of pollution from ships. But there is an important first step which needs to happen between adopting a new regulation or amendment and its entry into force and application on board ships. Appropriate implementing legislation must be drafted at the national level, because international treaties can only become law when implemented into national legislation.

​Practical training on board ships for port State control officers, supported by class-based lectures, has boosted knowledge amongst participants from eight countries during a training course in Muscat and Sohar, Oman (19 February -2 March). The course was hosted by the Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Gulf Region (Riyadh MoU) and  jointly organized by International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Tokyo MoU, the Riyadh MoU and the Ministry of Transport of Oman. The focus of the course was on port State control procedures and the latest revisions to relevant IMO conventions, specifically the SOLAS, MARPOL, Load Lines and STCW treaties.

With more and more ships navigating in polar waters, IMO has moved to address international concern about the protection of the polar environment and the safety of seafarers and passengers with the introduction of new regulations that all ships operating in these harsh and challenging waters must comply with. The mandatory Polar Code, for ships operating in Arctic and Antarctic waters, enters into force on 1 January 2017, marking a historic milestone in the work of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to address this key issue. Its requirements, which were specifically tailored for the polar environments, go above and beyond those of existing IMO conventions such as MARPOL and SOLAS, which are applicable globally and will still apply to shipping in polar waters.

With more and more ships navigating in polar waters, IMO has moved to address international concern about the protection of the polar environment and the safety of seafarers and passengers with the introduction of new regulations that all ships operating in these harsh and challenging waters must comply with. The mandatory Polar Code, for ships operating in Arctic and Antarctic waters, enters into force on 1 January 2017, marking a historic milestone in the work of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to address this key issue. Its requirements, which were specifically tailored for the polar environments, go above and beyond those of existing IMO conventions such as MARPOL and SOLAS, which are applicable globally and will still apply to shipping in polar waters.

Maritime educators in China are the first to undergo a newly developed course designed to assist maritime training institutes to introduce the topic of energy-efficient ship operation into their teaching curriculums. More than 30 participants from maritime universities, shipping colleges and institutes from across China are attending the workshop, taking place in Hangzhou (8-9 December). The course, developed under International Maritime Organization (IMO) 's GloMEEP project, will help maritime training institutes to deliver IMO’s Model Course 4.05 to seafarers. It consists of a series of lectures, interactive exercises and videos to enhance the learning experience and ensure there are properly trained crews who can contribute to efficient shipping.

Participating States in a highly successful International Maritime Organization (IMO)-Norad environmental project have wrapped up the project in a final meeting, during which they pledged to continue to forge ahead with the implementation of key IMO marine environmental conventions. During the meeting in Bali, Indonesia (9-11 November), the six east Asian beneficiary countries highlighted the major goals reached during the project, including the development of national legislation for the ratification of key treaties. The countries expressed an interest in developing a follow-up project concept which would cover the entire ASEAN region and focus on the effective implementation of the IMO conventions that the countries have recently acceded to.

This year’s concentrated inspection campaigns (CICs) by port state authorities will focus on compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention and the vessel’s Cargo Securing Manual. Their CIC for 2016 is aimed at verifying compliance with relevant parts of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) and the campaign demonstrates the importance of decent working and living conditions onboard ships, as well as ensuring that seafarers’ rights are respected. The MLC entered into force on 20 August 2013 and sets out the obligations of shipowners and operators with respect to seafarers’ contractual arrangements, working hours, accommodation and recreational facilities, catering standards and their health and safety.

Classification society Korean Register (KR) announced the release of its latest KR-CON software. The essential software tool, now in its 14th edition includes an enhanced and increasingly critical dangerous goods program, which has been developed in-house, as one of its key functions. KR-CON offers a comprehensive electronic database of International Maritime Organization (IMO) instruments, providing all of the latest IMO Conventions, Codes, Resolutions and Circulars. By simply inputting a ship’s particulars, KR-CON allows the user to find all of the regulations relevant to a specific task and helps to ensure that all of the IMO requirements are applied correctly.

At the United Nations in New York, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is representing the interests of shipowners at the opening session of a UN Preparatory Committee starting work on a new legal instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The establishment of the new UN Preparatory Committee, under the auspices of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, follows the decision of the United Nations General Assembly, in 2015, that UNCLOS should be expanded to include a new legally binding instrument on the conservation of marine life in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This is particularly relevant to shipping because the new UN instrument could include area-based management tools such as Marine Protected Areas on the high seas.