Role of The International Maritime

Organisation
(www.imo.org)
United Nations body specializing in maritime
affairs.
Action to improve safety would be more effective
if carried out at international level IMO fulfills
this requirement.
Provide forum for member nations to jointly arrive
at decisions on international shipping.

Organisational structure of IMO

See diagram in notes.
At present there are 158 member countries and the
Assembly meets once in two years.
The working of the council is mainly carried out
through the number of standing committees and
sub committees.

Conventions
A documented expression of the will of members
concerned with maritime affairs and directed
towards the safety of life and protection of the
environment.
Comes into force one year from the date on which
20 countries, whose combined fleet combined fleet
constitute not less than 50% of the gross tonnage
of the worlds merchant fleet, have ratified the
convention.(see Appendix 1)

Role of The International Maritime Organisation(3rd week).ppt

Protocol
Rules of etiquette and order, used
to amend or modify the Articles of
an existing Convention either
before or after ratification.
A document relating to the
proceedings of a diplomatic
conference, and after ratification,
having the force of a Convention.

Protocol
"protocol" is a set of international "procedures,
and standards" that was developed by certain
NGOs "Non Government Organizations" and
nation states. This term also refers to forward
thinking procedures and standards, many of
which cannot be applied until they have been
ratified by a majority of nation states or some
particular event or time has transpired.

Amendments
Changes to be made for the improvement
of parts, or additions, to existing
Conventions.(why?)
Technology and techniques in the shipping industry
change very rapidly these days.
New conventions required and existing ones updated.

Example
Protocol of 1978
1981 amendments
Improvements made to Chapter II-1 and
chapter II-1,chapter IIchapter II-2 were
2 and chapter V.
virtually re-written
and updated.
7 regulations in
Changes to chapter 1
chapter IV were
replaced.

Accepting amendments
Amendments to regulations of a convention can be
done by procedures involving the following::

explicit acceptance

tacit acceptance (tacit amendment)

Explicit acceptance
In early conventions, amendments came into force
only after a percentage of Contracting States ,
usually two thirds, had accepted them.
This led to long delays in bringing amendments
into force.
The remedy?

Tacit acceptance
Under the tacit amendment procedure, amendments
come into force after an agreed time unless more
than 1/3 of the contracting government [whose
combined gross tonnage is not less than 50% of the
world's merchant fleet] object.

Tacit acceptance
Has greatly speeded up the amendment process.

Details of tacit Vs explicit amendment procedure are

given in Appendix 2. (read and digest!)

End