Over the years, IMO has developed and promoted the adoption of more than 40 conventions and protocols as well as 800 codes and recommendations dealing with maritime safety, the prevention of pollution at sea and other matters. The most important of these are mandatory for ships engaged in International Trade, and even the recommendations are often universal in their impact.

The Structure of the IMO

IMO works through a series of specialist committees and sub-committees. Members are separated into two groups, one representing the Member States, the other made up of inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations. There are approximately 30 inter-governmental organisations and 50 non-governmental organisations, which have been granted Consultative Status to participate in the work of IMO in an observer capacity. These organisations represent a wide spectrum of maritime, legal and environmental interests. They contribute to the various committees by offering documents, information and advice but may not vote.

IMO has a full time professional staff but, nevertheless, is member driven. Proposals for new work, fresh legislation or amendments to existing conventions or rules must be initiated by a member state. All meetings are chaired by a member of the delegation of a member state.

The production of a Code or Convention is normally years of work and negotiation. Initially, work on a convention is undertaken by a committee or sub-committee, from which a draft is produced. This is then submitted to a meeting delegation of all States within the United Nations system, which includes any States which are not members of the IMO, which adopt a final text. This text is then submitted to Governments for final ratification. A Convention that is adopted must fulfil certain requirements before it comes into force, which always includes ratification by a certain number of countries. The more important the Convention, the more stringent the requirements for entry into force. Implementation of requirements is mandatory on countries which are parties to the Convention.
 

Marine Safety Committee

This is the most senior Committee of the IMO. It has two Sub-Committee's, both of which are relevant to sailing. These are the Sub-Committee on Radio Communications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR) and the Safety of Navigation Sub-Committee (NAV).
It is via these main Sub-Committees that ISAF stays in touch with all new legislation involving sailing or that may affect sailing.

COMSAR

The work of the Sub-Committee on Radio Communications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR) is of particular significance. One issue of recent concern was the decision to extend indefinitely the listening watch on VHF Channel 16. If this had not been agreed all yachts would have been compelled to fit new sets compliant with Digital Selective Calling standards.

ISAF, via the IMO, also keeps abreast of all technology developments such as the new Inmarsat C. This, together with new Automatic Identification System (AIS) technology allows ships of all sizes to be tracked globally. This would help Coast Guard, Customs, Intelligence and many other agencies track ships for both safety and security reasons. The system utilises the same technology which is used for transponder codes in aircraft, where each unit has an individual code, unique to the ship it is located on. This unit may then be “interrogated” by other units globally to access such information as ETA, Course and Speed over ground, Cargo type and details of the ship including crew details. In turn this can also be used as a form of real time communication with each vessel in case of an emergency.

This application would be of specific interest to organisers of transoceanic or around the world races where logging the position of boats and communication is of paramount importance.

SAFETY OF NAVIGATION SUB COMMITTEE (NAV)

The title of the sub committee aptly describes its task. NAV deals with all safety issues including Traffic Routing and Prohibited areas. Each proposal has to be examined to ensure that any restrictions have the minimum effect on sailing. The Traffic Schemes and areas recently considered range from the Dover Straits to the Red Sea and the Florida Keys. 

Marine Environment Protection Committee

The MEPC considers all ranges of pollution of the Seas.

The original convention relating to pollution was adopted in 1954 and related solely to the discharge of Oil. A series of incidents including the wreck of the Torrey Canyon culminated in a major conference in 1973 to discuss the whole problem. From this emerged the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) 1973 which regulates all types of pollution ranging from chemicals and sewage to the distribution of harmful marine organisms via ship ballast water.

More recently, developments concerning ballast water have seen ISAF sitting on the Ballast Water Working Group which reports to the MEPC. This is especially important to world sailing as there are an estimated 6000 sailing craft which utilise ballast water as stability. The initial proposal applied to all ships except those that operate solely in the territorial waters of one single state and do not enter the territorial waters of another state. Ballast water is defined as 'water with its suspended matter taken on board a ship to control trim, list, draught, stability or stresses of a ship'. This is different to bilge water, discharge of which is controlled under other rules. Under that proposals, all ships must have had to comply with a Ballast Water Management Plan which requiring 'mechanical, physical, chemical; biological, processes, which either singularly or in combination kill remove render harmless or avoid the uptake or discharge of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens within ballast water and sediments”.

This would have had a dramatic effect on boats such as Volvo 60’s and Open 60’s which rely on water ballast for stability as they race around the world. ISAF proposed a relaxation for boats under 50m and who carry less than 8 metric tonnes of water ballast. In order to achieve this, ISAF produced a draft paper of guidelines assisting sailing vessels to comply with the IMO convention. These guidelines were ratify by the IMO at their meeting on 4-8th April 2005.

Draft ISAF guidelines on 'Harmful Aquatic Organisms in Ballast Water'
 

Standards of Training and Certification

The International Convention on Standards of Training and Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarer's (STCW), 1978, sets the standards of competence for seafarers internationally. Although IMO training and cetification interests do not impinge on pleasure yachts, which are specifically exempted from the conventions, they are of great interest to sailors as they provide many standards which have been adopted by National Agencies.

The STCW convention also requires Parties to provide information to allow others to check the validity and authenticity of seafarers certificates of competency. This is important as unqulaified seafarers holding fraudulent certificates are a clear danger to themselves and the marine environment as a whole.

For maritime training institutes worldwide, IMO have also developed a series of model courses which provide suggested syllabi, course timetables and learning objectives to assist instructors develop training programmes to meet the STCW Convention standards for seafarers.
 

COLREGs

The COLREG’s (Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea) 1972, were originally a development of the SOLAS requirements that were set out in 1960 regarding Collision Prevention.
The most important item that came out of the COLREG’s was the idea of traffic separation schemes – Rule 10, which gives guidance in determining the safe speed, the risk of collision and the conduct of vessels operating in or near traffic separation schemes.

The first such separation zone was introduced in 1967 in the Dover Straits. It was initially operated on a voluntary basis but in 1971 the IMO Assembly adopted a resolution stating that observance of all traffic separation schemes be made mandatory.

For ease of reference, the COLREG’s have been split up into 5 different Parts and has four Annexes for clarification purposes.

Part A - General (Rules 1-3)

Part B- Steering and Sailing (Rules 4-19)
Section 1 - Conduct of vessels in any condition of visibility (Rules 4-10)
Section II - Conduct of vessels in sight of one another (Rules 11-18)
Section III - conduct of vessels in restricted visibility (Rule 19)

Part C Lights and Shapes (Rules 20-31)

Part D - Sound and Light Signals (Rules 32-37)

Part E - Exemptions (Rule 38)

Annexes
The COLREGs include four annexes:

Annex I - Positioning and technical details of lights and shapes
Annex II - Additional signals for fishing vessels fishing in close proximity
Annex III - Technical details of sounds signal appliances
Annex IV - Distress signals, which lists the signals indicating distress and need of assistance.

The COLREG's in full can be viewed here.

Latest COLREG Traffic separation schemes  

IMO Publications

The IMO has a substantial publications department which produces over 300 different publications, many in different formats including CD-ROM, and in six different languages. To cover the cost of these publications, a varying charge is applied.

The text of IMO Conventions and other Instruments, as well as publications on other subjects and electronic publications may be obtained from:

Publishing Service
IMO
4, Albert Embankment
LONDON
SE1 7SR

A current Publications catalogue can also be sent on request or viewed on the IMO Website.