The headquarters of the United Nations (UN) is in New York. The UN has several autonomous specialized agencies. One of them that we have recently become very aware of in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic is the World Health Organization, or WHO, which is based in Geneva in Switzerland. Indeed, many UN specialized agencies have their headquarters in Geneva, including the World Trade Organization (WTO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM); bodies that have also been in the headlines in recent years. But which is the only UN specialized agency based in the UK? The answer is the International Maritime Organization, or IMO, which has its headquarters on the south bank of the River Thames in London (next to Lambeth Bridge). When it first started work in 1958, the IMO's priorities were to develop international treaties and other legislation concerning the safety of ships and those on board and the prevention of pollution of the sea by oil - carried on board ships either as fuel or as cargo. However, after the events of 11th September 2001, the IMO also had to turn its attention to the issue of maritime security. The Organization has also extended the scope of its work regarding the prevention of pollution. This now includes pollution of the sea caused by chemicals, other harmful substances carried on board ships in packaged form, sewage and garbage. A current priority of the IMO is the prevention of air pollution from the exhausts of ships' engines. Another element of the work of the IMO relates to how ships, crewmembers and the goods and passengers that they carry, are subject to administrative controls (such as customs and immigration), both on arrival at, and departure from, the world's ports. Finally, the IMO also considers what happens when 'things go wrong'. The Organization has developed and agreed regulations covering liability and compensation for damage, such as pollution, caused by ships.
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