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USCG IMO Homepage

Please note: Some of the Web sites listed below are not federal government Web sites, and may not necessarily operate under the same laws, regulations and policies as federal Web sites.

Summary


The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations with the responsibility to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for worldwide shipping. The result is a comprehensive body of international conventions, supported by hundreds of recommendations governing every facet of shipping including safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping.

Key treaties of the IMO include the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) , and the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

The IMO is based in London, England and is represented by 167 member states, three Associate Members, and various intergovernmental organizations (IGO) and non-governmental organizations (NGO).

The US Coast Guard has been a key participant and the primary U.S. representative to the IMO for all policy development since the IMO Convention entered into force 50 years ago. Numerous US Coast Guard offices and personnel with various skillsets take the lead in addressing international maritime issues with the help of various government and industry advisors. These advisors include members from the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, as well as numerous industry experts - all providing the technical support and guidance necessary to sufficiently advocate U.S. positions on the issues. In all, over 250 U.S. members (government, shipping industry, and academia) are sent to the IMO on a yearly basis.

IMO Structure


The work of the IMO is carried out by the IMO Secretariat, Member States, IGOs, and NGOs. The day to day running of the IMO, including meeting coordination and preparation, is conducted by the IMO Secretariat who is headed by the Secretary-General and assisted by a staff of some 300 international civil servants. The Member States, IGOs, and NGOs are represented at the IMO through the various IMO bodies (Assembly, Council, 5 Committees, and 9 Sub-Committees), by a delegation that consists of designated members and lead by the Head of Delegation.

To find out more about the various IMO bodies and Coast Guard's involvement, click on the hyperlinked titles (below) or use the navigation bar to the left. Each individual page contains:

A complete schedule of IMO meetings is listed on the following IMO Website; IMO Meeting Schedule.

Assembly

The Assembly is the highest Governing Body of the IMO. It consists of all Member States and it meets once every two years in regular sessions. The Assembly is responsible for approving the work program, voting the budget and electing the Council.

Council

The Council is the Executive Organ of the IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. Between sessions of the Assembly, the Council performs all the functions of the Assembly, except the function of making recommendations to Governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.

Committees

The five Committees are represented by all Member Governments. They report to the Council and Assembly on the status of their committee and respective Sub-Committees and are responsible for the review and development of IMOs guidelines and regulations.

Sub-Committees

The nine technical Sub-committees are represented by all Member Governments. They are under the direct instructions of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) and the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). The sub-committees focus on the technical work assigned by their respective committees.

USCG IMO e-Newsletter


The Coast Guard publishes a tri-annual e-Newsletter in the winter, spring, and fall to disseminate information regarding key IMO issues and decisions of particular interest to the U.S. Below is a list of the most recent e-Newsletters

Click here to be included in our General USCG IMO e-mail distribution list and receive the most up-to-date USCG IMO news and latest e-newsletter
In addition, a complete list of other Committee and Sub-Committee USCG IMO mailing lists can be found at the USCG IMO Public Mailing Lists.
Please note: The only information needed to subscribe to any of the USCG IMO mailing lists is your e-mail address in the "subscribing" section. The name and password can be left blank and the system will generate one for you. The section regarding a daily digest should remain "no". Once complete click SUBSCRIBE and an automatically generated subscription confirmation notice will be sent to you that needs a response to activate your subscription.

Contact Information


For question or more information about the Coast Guard's work with the IMO, please contact:

Commercial Regulations and Standards (CG-52)
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters
Address 2100 Second Street, SW
Washington, DC 20593
202-372-1376
Email LCDR Jason Smith
Last Modified 4/15/2009