Regulation, Law, Compliance and Governance
Other IMO and ILO conventions and codes glossary
The treaties beyond SOLAS and MARPOL that complete the public-law frame: STCW, the MLC 2006, COLREGs, Load Lines, and Tonnage 1969, the BWM, AFS, and Hong Kong recycling conventions, and the liability and operational instruments (SAR, FAL, Salvage 1989, LLMC, CLC and Fund, Bunkers, Nairobi Wreck Removal, HNS). Includes the BWMS Code and CDEM standards as a flag-state scope.
43 defined terms.
A
- AFS Convention
- International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships, 2001.
- Anti-Fouling System Certificate
- Required under AFS for ships of 400 GT and above.
B
- BBNJ Cross-Reference
- 2023 UN Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, complementing IMO BWM and AFS.
- Bunker Convention 2001
- International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage.
- BWM Convention
- International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004, in force 2017.
- BWMS Code
- Code for Approval of Ballast Water Management Systems, MEPC.300(72).
C
- CDEM
- Construction, Design, Equipment and Manning standards, the typical scope of flag-state rules.
- CLC 1992
- International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, 1992 Protocol.
- COLREG 1972
- Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
- CTM 1976/1996
- See LLMC.
F
- FAL Convention
- Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic, 1965.
- Fund Convention 1992
- International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage.
H
- HNS Convention 2010
- International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 2010 Protocol.
- Hong Kong Convention
- International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009, in force 26 June 2025.
I
- IBC Code
- International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk.
- IGC Code
- International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk.
- ILO
- International Labour Organization, UN agency that adopted MLC 2006 and earlier maritime labor conventions.
- ILO C147
- Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976, predecessor to MLC.
- IMSO
- International Mobile Satellite Organization, oversees GMDSS satellite service providers.
L
- LLMC 1976/1996
- Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, with 1996 Protocol and 2012 limit amendments.
- Load Lines Convention 1966
- International Convention on Load Lines, 1966, as amended by the 1988 Protocol.
M
- Maritime Labour Certificate
- Required under MLC for ships of 500 GT and above engaged on international voyages.
- MLC 2006
- Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, ILO instrument with five titles.
- MLC Title 1
- Minimum requirements for seafarers to work on a ship.
- MLC Title 2
- Conditions of employment.
- MLC Title 3
- Accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering.
- MLC Title 4
- Health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection.
- MLC Title 5
- Compliance and enforcement.
N
- Nairobi WRC
- Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007.
- NOx Technical Code
- Issued under MARPOL Annex VI.
P
- Protocol of 1978
- Supplemented SOLAS and added MARPOL Annex I/II framework.
- Protocol of 1988 (Load Lines)
- Introduced the HSSC for load line certificates.
- Protocol of 1988 (SOLAS)
- Introduced the HSSC.
S
- Salvage Convention 1989
- International Convention on Salvage, with Article 14 special compensation.
- SAR Convention 1979
- International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue.
- SOLAS Protocol of 1978
- Adopted with MARPOL Protocol of 1978.
- STCW 1978
- International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers.
- STCW Code Part A
- Mandatory standards.
- STCW Code Part B
- Recommended guidance.
- STCW Manila Amendments 2010
- Major revision of STCW.
- STCW-F 1995
- STCW for Fishing Vessel Personnel.
T
- Tonnage Convention 1969
- International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, defining GT and NT.
W
- Wreck Removal Certificate
- Required under Nairobi WRC for ships of 300 GT and above.
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