International Maritime Organization

The International Maritime Organization (IMO; French: Organisation maritime internationale, Spanish: Organización Marítima Internacional, OMI) is a specialized agency of the United Nations regulating maritime transport. It was established following agreement at a UN conference held in Geneva in 1948, but it did not come into force for ten years until the new body, then called the Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organization, first assembled on 6 January 1959. Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, the IMO has 176 Member States and three Associate Members as of 2025.
The IMO's purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping.