Explanatory Notes

Explanatory Notes are interpretive texts the IMO issues alongside a convention, code, or regulation to clarify how its provisions are intended to be applied. They are not treaty text and carry no independent legal force, but administrations and surveyors use them to apply requirements consistently. Examples include the Explanatory Notes to the SOLAS Chapter II-1 subdivision and damage-stability regulations and the Explanatory Notes on matters related to the IMSBC Code. Where an explanatory note conflicts with the convention text, the convention prevails. They are typically approved by the relevant committee through an MSC or MEPC circular.