The World Maritime University, in Malmö, Sweden, which was established under the auspices of the IMO and opened in 1983, provides advanced training for more than 100 maritime personnel annually—senior maritime teachers, surveyors, inspectors, technical managers, and administrators from developing countries. Funded by UNDP and by Sweden and other countries, the university offers two-year courses in maritime education and training, maritime safety administration, general maritime administration, and technical management of shipping companies, as well as field and other training. It is designed to help meet the urgent need of developing countries for high-level maritime personnel and to contribute to maintaining international standards for maritime safety and imo history preventing pollution of the seas by ships.

The four pillars of the IMO include:

It declares the carrier liable for damage or loss suffered by passengers if the incident is due to the fault or neglect of the carrier. The limit of liability was originally set at us$ 55,000 per carriage, but on 1 November 2002, a new protocol was adopted by the IMO, which would substantially raise that liability limit, to approximately us$ 325,000. It was established in May 1972 and deals with IMO’s work in eliminating unnecessary formalities and “red tape” in international shipping.

First SMART-C Women Fellow begins master’s studies at World Maritime University

The university serves as the apex of an international system of training in the maritime field, collaborating with regional, subregional, and national maritime training institutions throughout the world. In 1989, a conference of leading industrial nations in Paris called upon IMO to develop further measures to prevent oil pollution from ships. In 1990 IMO adopted the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC). The convention provides a global framework for international cooperation in combating major incidents or threats of marine pollutions. Parties to the convention will be required to establish measures for dealing with pollution incidents and ships and operators of offshore oil units will be required to have oil pollution emergency plans. The convention also calls for the establishment of stockpiles of oil spill-combating equipment, the holding of oil spill-combating exercises, and the development of detailed plans for dealing with pollution incidents.

Brief History of FRSC in Nigeria

But it was not until ten years later that the IMCO convention came into force, and not until 1959 that it formally convened. According to the history documented by the people of Imo, the state is one of the seven states established by the Federal Military Government on February 3, 1976, under the Murtala Muhammad administration. Research reveals that the region that is today known as Imo State was once a part of the now-defunct East Central State, one of the twelve states that the Federal Military Government (General Yakubu Gowon’s dictatorship) initially established in 1967.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is responsible for regulating international shipping. It was established in 1948 to promote maritime safety and prevent pollution from ships. IMO has adopted over 50 conventions covering safety, security, environmental concerns and legal issues. Its main committees develop regulations and amendments to conventions, while its Assembly and Council provide governance. Key areas of focus for IMO include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring safety of life at sea, and addressing issues like piracy and maritime security.

Committees

• For example, in 1990 approximately us$ 5.6 million was received from UNDP; by 1997 this support had dwindled to us$ 3.93 million.
• History has it that the majority of the native Igbo inhabitants of the Imo region were farmers who raised a range of cash and food crops, including palm fruit, one of Nigeria’s main export products at the time of independence.
• IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.
• The 1969 International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships is designed to establish a uniform system for tonnage measurement.

The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) was another seminal piece of regulation. For the first time, Member States were required to maintain certain minimal requirements for masters, officers and watch personnel on merchant vessels. Certain codes dealing with the transport of bulk chemicals and liquefied gas, have been made mandatory through amendments to the International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea. Schemes; and the Convention for Safe Containers, which provides uniform international regulations for maintaining a high level of safety in the carriage of containers by providing generally acceptable test procedures and related strength requirements. Furthermore, Imo state comprises 24 local government areas including Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise, Ehime Mbano, Ezinihitte Mbaise, Ideato North, Ideato South, Ihitte/Uboma, Ikeduru, Isiala Mbano, and Isu, among others.

This is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes. This convention includes regulations that are in an effort to prevent and minimize pollution from ships (both accidental pollution and those from routine operations), and as of now, includes six technical Annexes. A conference convened by the IMO in 1960 adopted the International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to replace an earlier (1948) instrument. A new convention, incorporating amendments to the 1960 agreement, was adopted in 1974 and entered into force in 1980. The SOLAS convention was updated with the SOLAS Protocol of 1978, which entered into force in 1981, and with the SOLAS Protocol of 1988, which entered into force in February 2000.

• The protocol to the 1973 convention strengthened the provisions regarding oil pollution and at the same time was modified to incorporate the parent convention.
• IMO medalists who have gone on to have notable careers in other fields or professions which isn’t mathematics or computer science.
• The limit of liability was originally set at us$ 55,000 per carriage, but on 1 November 2002, a new protocol was adopted by the IMO, which would substantially raise that liability limit, to approximately us$ 325,000.

The seven seas, accounting for about two-thirds of the earth’s surface, are the only truly international part of our globe. Except for a marginal belt a very few miles wide, touching on the shores of countries, the greater part of the world’s oceans and maritime resources are the common property of all nations. Since ancient times, however, “freedom of the seas” has too often been a theoretical ideal rather than a reality. In each historic era, the great maritime powers tended to use their naval might to dominate the sea.

The International Convention on Salvage was adopted in 1989, and entered into force in July 1996. That convention incorporated the “no cure, no pay” principle that has been in existence for many years and is the basis of most salvage operations today. The new convention seeks to remedy this by making provisionsfor “special compensation” to be paid to salvers when there is a threat to the environment. The Convention on Carriage of Passengers and Their Luggage, adopted in 1974, establishes a regime of liability for damage suffered by passengers carried on seagoing vessels.

The Technical Cooperation Committee coordinates the work of the IMO in providing technical assistance in the maritime field, especially to developing countries. According to research, the state has over 163 oil wells at over 12 different locations in the state. Thus, the main petroleum companies operating in the state are Addax Petroleum, Chevron Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell and Agip. Moreover, some of the established oil-rich local government councils include Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Oru East, Iho, Oru West, Obowo and Ngor Okpala.

The following IMO medalists have received a Nevanlinna Prize, a Knuth Prize, or a Gödel Prize; these awards recognise research in theoretical computer science. A sail training ship belonging to the Colombian Navy lost a cabin boy over the side on Sunday, prompting a full-scale search. The training vessel ARC Gloria was preparing to arrive at Barranquilla, Colombia on Sunday, and was engaged in making preparations for the ship’s upcoming training cruise. During the transit, as the ship was maneuvering to enter port, cabin boy Julian Fernando Condia Bello fell into the Magdalena River.

In addition, through its Maritime Environment Protection Committee, the IMO has been working on various other projects designed to reduce the threat of oil pollution—for example, the Regional Oil-Combating Center, established in Malta in 1976 in conjunction with UNEP. The Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to pollution, and a massive oil pollution incident there could be catastrophic. The center’s purpose is to coordinate anti-pollution activities in the region and to help develop contingency plans that could be put into effect should a disaster occur.

A trust fund under the Code was established to improve the regional ability to counter piracy through cooperation and coordination. In 1993 IMO adopted the International Safety Management Code (ISM) to ensure safety at sea, prevent injury or loss of life and protect the environment. Each ISM-compliant ship is audited annually by its company and every two to three years by the flag state.

Just like every other state in Nigeria, Imo State has a rich cultural heritage cutting across the people’s modes of dressing, songs, festivals, foods, dance, arts and crafts, etc. Also, research affirms that the Imo State people are predominantly Christians, and they are mostly Catholics, though some people still practice their traditional religion. Reports gathered revealed that in Imo State when the civilian rule had not formally commenced, there were significant impacts with the assistance of a few civilian leaders, which existed for 23 years of the 40 years of the creation. Later, Owerri and its surroundings changed hands twice throughout the war before Owerri was designated the Biafran capital in 1969.

STCW-95 gave the IMO, also for the first time, the power to check that Member States were in compliance with the convention. These are the so-called Manila Amendments and deal with new technology and operational competencies. Other treaties cover search-and-rescue coordination and cooperation as well as preparedness and response to incidents involving oil pollution or hazardous and noxious substances. The Marine Environment Protection Committee is responsible for all matters relating to the prevention and control of marine pollution from ships. That is why Sekimizu is so excited about the mandatory Member State Audit Scheme that will take effect next January and which he regards as a major milestone in the IMO’s history.