International Maritime Organization

IMO 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. IMO's work supports the UN SDGs. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is a member of and an advocate of IMO.

The Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. The Council is made up of 40 Member States, elected by the Assembly for two-year terms.

Category (A) 10 States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services.

The current members from the period 2022-2023 are China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and United States.

Category (B) 10 States with the largest interest in international seaborne trade.

The current members from the period 2022-2023 are Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and United Arab Emirates.

Category (C) 20 States not elected under (a) or (b) above, which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world.

The current members from the period 2022-2023 are Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, and Vanuatu.

The UAE is considered one of the first contributors to the efforts of the International Maritime Organization to establish the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden, since its establishment in 1983, through its active membership in the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee, between 1983 and 1991. This is in addition to the Member State’s participation in many national and international forums, which aim to transfer and exchange experiences in the field of maritime education and training.

Sharjah established the Sharjah Maritime Academy (SMA) in Khorfakkan as a specialized higher education institution dedicated to maritime education, training, and research. The Academy is the only institution in the UAE offering bachelor's degrees in maritime disciplines accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), playing a key role in developing a highly skilled workforce for the maritime sector.

SMA operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. It is also recognized as an approved training center by the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR) and an accredited training provider by the National Qualifications Centre (NQC).

Caring for seafarers working onboard ships is the mainstay in the maritime transport industry, and in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the UAE has taken the initiative to classify seafarers as “priority workers” because they have been on the front line since the onset of the pandemic, providing critical services despite challenging circumstances. The Member State has also enabled them to return to their Member States.

Vaccines against COVID-19 have been provided free of charge to all key workers, including seafarers and port employees working in the Member State's waters. In addition, all ports in the Member State are working round the clock to efficiently provide services to maintain uninterrupted flow of trade. The Member State provided all the necessary support to facilitate safe and secure crew changes.

The UAE has contributed to the implementation of the International Maritime Organization's initial strategy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships and will continue to support the development of the follow-up action plan and Fourth Greenhouse Gas Study 2020.

The UAE seeks to establish a sustainable platform for exchanging knowledge and best practices between member states and maritime administrations, providing added value to the technical and legal discussions held at the International Maritime Organization. It has contributed to proposals aimed at strengthening safety and maritime security regulations and preserving the marine environment.

The Member State sought to amend Article (81) of the IMO Convention, which previously included the use of only Spanish, English, and French languages within the organization. The UAE has proposed adding the languages of Arabic, Chinese, and Russian as equally authentic languages. These amendments will require several years to be implemented.

The UAE contributed to amending the IMO agreement by submitting a proposal to increase the members of the organization’s council to consist of 52 members instead of 40 members, to be included under three categories: Category A and Category B, which include 12 members and Category C, which includes 28 members, in addition to the proposal to increase the term of office of the Council for four years and increasing the quorum to become 34 members

The UAE is considered a leading Member State in supporting and empowering women in all fields, including the maritime sector, as it contributed to the preparation of the IMO’s Assembly Resolution No. A.1147 (31) titled “Preserving the legacy of the global maritime logo for the year 2019 and achieving a barrier-free work environment for women in the maritime sector”. It was adopted at the 31st session of the Assembly held at the end of 2019.

The UAE is among the founders of the IMOGENder, a network for IMO delegates seeking to achieve gender equality. The network constitutes a forum for delegates of member states and observer delegations to the IMO, to work in a coordinated manner and exchange information, ideas and best practices aimed at achieving gender equality and enhancing the participation of women in the maritime sector.

The UAE is currently chairing the Arab Women In Maritime Association (AWIMA), in cooperation with the International Maritime Organization’s Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP). AWIMA's mission is to encourage and empower the Arab woman through improving her professional skills and highlighting her effective role in the maritime sector.

The UAE has formed the National Committee for Trade Facilitation, which includes the sectors of maritime transport, aviation, land and railways within a unified national framework, fulfilling the requirements for implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), including meeting the requirements of the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL).

Within the framework of the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), the UAE seeks to achieve its policy regarding the necessary procedures for emergency crisis and disaster management. Additionally, several national emergency response plans have been developed and implemented, including marine accident response, rescue and marine emergencies, including combating oil spills from ships, and search and rescue plans.

The UAE is one of the founding members of the Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding (Riyadh MoU) that aims to achieve maritime safety and effective and efficient maritime transport in the Arabian Gulf region, as well as a unified system of port state control measures on foreign ships visiting the Member State's ports. It also works to intensify cooperation and exchange of information on issues related to port state control.

The UAE has prepared the National Climate Change Plan of the UAE 2017-2050, which aims to address the challenges of climate change, in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UAE is proud of its unique coastline, as the port of Fujairah overlooks the eastern coast of the Member State, the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean and ranks second in the world among the three largest global suppliers of bunker fuel.

The UAE hosts the headquarters of DP World, which is one of the world's leading and most efficient investors in managing and operating international ports. It currently operates 181 container terminals in 64 Member States. The UAE is also home to Jebel Ali Port, which ranks ninth among the largest container ports in the world.

The UAE is among the 20 largest container fleet owners in the world. It is one of the largest major port centres in the Arabian Peninsula. The Member State still maintains its leading position in the index of connectivity between sea lines in the region, and its ports have been ranked among the top ten international ports in terms of volume of container handling.

Since the implementation of the ISPS Code in 2004, the UAE has sought to enhance the security and safety of navigation in its waters, by adopting more safety and security requirements. These requirements include the installation of identification devices for all fishing and pleasure boats. The additional requirements have been expanded to include all fishing ports, marinas and ports that receive ships that do not fall under the requirements of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), to ensure maritime safety and security.

View the organizational structure of the International Maritime Organization.