IMO celebrates 70 years with HM Queen Elizabeth II
Marking seventy years since the treaty establishing IMO was adopted, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has helped mark the occasion at IMO Headquarters in London.
Accompanied by IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim, HM Queen Elizabeth II unveiled a commemorative plaque and cut an anniversary cake. She also met some of the guests attending the event, including representatives of IMO Member States.
“We are celebrating 70 years of achievement, in which the truly vital industry of shipping has become safer, cleaner and greener, thanks to the work of IMO. We are also looking ahead to the exciting new challenges on the horizon,” said IMO Secretary-General Lim.
Happy birthday
The Convention on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) was adopted on 6 March 1948 at the United Nations Maritime Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland. It entered into force ten years later on 17 March 1958 when the 21st State ratified 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 IMO is the United Nations specialised agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of pollution by ships.
By Anne-Marie Causer
Related Articles
MARINE CONSTRUCTION
POWER & PROPULSION
ENVIRONMENT