IMO Institutional Structure and Law-Making Process - Prevention of Pollution of the Marine Environment from Vessels - page 20

with those countries. The participation of non-governmental organisations in IMO
is more apparent than many other similar international organisations. These issues
will be elaborated further in subsequent chapters with practical examples.

2.3 IMO Institutional Framework and Institutional Politics

As noted in the previous chapter, IMO has gone through many structural changes in
respect of its institutional framework for marine environmental issues. The IMO
mainly consists of an Assembly, a Council, a Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), a
Legal Committee, a Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), a Tech-
nical Co-operation Committee and a Facilitation Committee. These main organs are
supported by a number of sub-committees. Although MEPC plays the most vital
role in environmental matters, other IMO organs have a critical role to play in
respect of the prevention of marine pollution from ships. Initially, IMO had only
four organs: the Assembly, Council, Maritime Safety Committee and Secretariat.
Other committees have gradually developed to deal with growing issues and
complexities surrounding international shipping (Fig. 2.1 ).

2.3.1 Assembly

IMO Assembly consists of all members of the organisation. 22 Assembly is the
supreme body of the organisation. It has a role in the election of other organs of
IMO, approval of budget, approval of work programme of the organisation, and
overall control of the activities of the organisation. 23 The Assembly has a specific
role in recommending Members States adoption and amendment of the regulations

and guidelines for the prevention and control of marine pollution form ships. 24
However, the Assembly usually passes resolutions on the basis of the recommen-
dations from other organs of the organisation with specific responsibilities. Assem-
bly recommendations are not legally binding. However, it is common that these
recommendations are incorporated in national law as they are treated as interna-
tional standards. The Assembly

'

s function also includes taking decisions for con-
vening international conference or following any other appropriate procedure for
the adoption and amendments of international conventions which have been devel-
oped by the MEPC or other organs of IMO. 25

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22 IMO Convention, art 12.
23 IMO Convention, art 15.
24 IMO Convention, art 15(j).
25 IMO Convention, art 15(I).