Her Majesty the Queen will visit IMO on Tuesday 6 March to celebrate the 70 years since the convention establishing IMO was adopted.

On this day….6 March 1948
The Convention on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) was adopted 70 years ago, on 6 March 1948, at the United Nations Maritime Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The convention entered into force 10 years later, on 17 March 1958, when Japan became the 21st State to ratify the treaty.

IMO’s first meeting was held in London on 6 January 1959, at Church House in central London.

Since then, IMO Member States have pursued their mission to develop the global regulatory framework for international shipping.

Today, IMO continues its work to improve maritime safety and security, the efficiency of navigation and the prevention and control of pollution from ships, as well as the fair and effective implementation of its regulations.

The International Maritime Organization
A​​s a specialized 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.

Shipping is a truly international industry, transporting more than 80 per cent of global trade to peoples and communities all over the world. The world relies on a safe, secure and efficient international shipping industry – and this is provided by the regulatory framework developed and maintained by IMO.

IMO measures cover all aspects of international shipping – including ship design, construction, equipment, crewing, operation and disposal – to ensure that this vital sector for remains safe, environmentally sound, energy efficient and secure.

IMO has 173 Member States and is the only United Nations agency to be headquartered in the UK.

2018 marks the 70th year since it was formed, by the adoption of an international convention in Geneva.