Headquarters Agreement

The Headquarters Agreement is the treaty between the IMO and the United Kingdom that governs the Organization’s seat in London and sets out the privileges and immunities of the IMO, its staff, and the representatives of member states. The IMO’s permanent headquarters is the purpose-built building at 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1, on the Albert Embankment facing the River Thames, opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 May 1983. The agreement underpins the legal status of the premises and is supplemented by the broader UN privileges-and-immunities regime applicable to specialized agencies.