IMSAS
A1. The IMO and the international regulatory frameworkDefinition
IMO Member State Audit Scheme, mandatory audit of flag, port, and coastal state obligations.
The IMO Member State Audit Scheme became mandatory on 1 January 2016 through the III Code, which is given force by amendments to SOLAS, MARPOL, Load Lines, Tonnage 1969, COLREG, and STCW. It audits how each state meets its obligations as a flag, port, and coastal state. SOLAS Chapter XIII carries the verification-of-compliance requirement, and audits run on a roughly seven-year cycle.
Source: III Code; SOLAS Chapter XIII