Headquartered in
London,
U.K., the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) promotes cooperation among governments and the shipping industry to improve
maritime safety and to prevent marine pollution. Recent
U.S. initiatives at the IMO have included amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention, which upgraded fire protection standards on
passenger ships[?], and amendments to the Convention on the Prevention of Maritime Pollution, which required double hulls on all
tankers. U.S. maritime interests benefit directly from IMO work on standardization, safety, and ocean anti-pollution programs.