International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The IMO is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for setting global standards for the safety, security, and environmental performance of international shipping. It was established by the UN Convention on the IMO in 1948 and became operational in 1958.
- IMO headquarters: London, UK. Current Secretary-General: Arsenio Dominguez (Panama), since 2024.
- Key conventions: SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea, 1974), MARPOL (marine pollution, 1973/1978), STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, 1978).
- The IMO's Legal Committee and Maritime Safety Committee are the bodies that address armed conflict threats to commercial shipping and can call for emergency sessions.
- The IMO does not have an enforcement capacity; its resolutions are non-binding unless incorporated into domestic law by member states.
- India is a Category A member of the IMO (among the 10 largest shipping nations), giving it a permanent seat on the IMO Council.
● Tracked since March 11, 2026 · last seen July 16, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
International Relations
Strait of Hormuz
International Relations
Freedom of Navigation
International Relations
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
International Relations
India's Energy Security and Persian Gulf Dependence
International Relations
Freedom of Navigation and International Law of the Sea
International Relations
UN Security Council
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief