International Bodies and Agreements

• The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations with 167 Member States. Its main role has been to develop and maintain a consistent regulatory framework for international shipping with particular focus on the areas of safety, security, environment and technical co-operation. To learn more about the IMO, visit www.imo.org.
• The International Ship and Port Facility Code (ISPS Code) entered in force for all IMO members in July 2004. It contains security-related requirements for governments, port authorities and shipping companies, along with a series of guidelines for how to meet those requirements. For more information about the ISPS Code, select FAQ on ISPS Code from the Maritime Security section of www.imo.org.
• The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is a body of member and observer states that was established by the U.N General Assembly in 1966, to address disparities in national laws governing international trade. The World Shipping Council has been participating in a working group tasked with developing a new international instrument to govern the carriage of goods by sea. To learn more about UNCITRAL and its work, visit www.uncitral.org.
• The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a network of more than 150 national standards institutes that develops specifications and criteria that can be applied consistently around the world in the classification of materials, the manufacture of products and the provision of services. More information about the ISO can be found at www.iso.org.
• The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization that helps member states communicate and co-operate on customs issues. The World Shipping Council is a member of the WCO's Private Sector Consultative Group. To learn more about the WCO, visit www.wcoomd.org/ie/En/en.html.

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