Basic Documents: Volume 1 - 2023 Edition

It also includes amendments to the Rules of Procedure of:
the Assembly up to December 2021;
the Council up to November 2021;
the Maritime Safety Committee up to June 2017;
the Legal Committee up to April 2017;
the Marine Environment Protection Committee up to July 2017;
the Technical Cooperation Committee up to July 2017;
the Facilitation Committee up to June 2018; and
Meetings under the London Convention, 1972 and the 1996 Protocol to the London Convention up to November 2018.

As a specialised agency of the United Nations, IMO is the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.

In other words, its role is to create a level playing-field so that ship operators cannot address their financial issues by simply cutting corners and compromising on safety, security and environmental performance. This approach also encourages innovation and efficiency.

Shipping is a truly international industry, and it can only operate effectively if the regulations and standards are themselves agreed, adopted and implemented on an international basis. And IMO is the forum at which this process takes place.