International maritime convention

The number of transport vessels has grown and is still growing now very rapidly. By the end of the 20th century the total tonnage of the world's cargo vessels is estimated to be about 500 million tons. To avoid any perils and accidents at sea it became necessary to coordinate their activities.

After the Second World War the Organization of the Uni­ted Nations was faced with this problem. It worked out a spe­cial convention for creating such an organization which was named the Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO) (now this organisation is called IMO). The Convention was approved by many countries and came into force in 1958. Nowadays more than 100 countries are the members- of this Or­ganization.

IMO performs now many functions through its Committees. The main of them are: the Committee of Safety at Sea, the Com­mittee for protecting the sea environment, the Juridical Com­mittee and the Committee for technical cooperation. Each of these committies works out special regulations which are further dis­cussed, completed and approved at the Assemblies or Conferen­ces and then, on ratification by the majority of the IMO’s mem­bers, become a compulsory law. Such documents as International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, International Convention on Preventing Pollution at Sea, International Regu­lations for Safety of Life at Sea and others are well known to all the mariners and shall be strictly obeyed in practical na­vigation.

All these regulations impose liability on shipping compa­nies, the vessels and their crews for non-compliance or viola­tion of the rules.

Much attention is now paid to preventing pollution at sea, as its consequences may threaten the vitally important problems of the mankind. The coast and coastal waters polluted with oil or poisonous substances may become uninhabitable or harmful not only for man but for fish, birds, animals, and other living creatures as well as for vegetation.

Under Convention the countries, members of IMO, undertake to see to the effective execution of the rules. To control the strict observance of the Regulations special organizations have been established. The staff of these organizations have been established» The staff of these organizations is entitled to investigate the cause of pollution, to inspect the equipment aboard vessels and to impose a penalty for the violation of the Regulations.

II. NOTES:

1. to evolve -развиваться, вызывать

2. to impose -налагать

3. liability -ответственность

4. non-observance -несоблюдение

5. uninhabitable - непригодный для жилья

6. strict adherence - строгое соблюдение

III. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. What organization was forced to solve a great number of problems?

2. When do the IMO’s regulations become a compulsory law?

3. On whom is the liability imposed for strict observance of these regulations?

4. Why is so much attention paid to prevent pollution at sea?

5. What is the staff of this organization entitled to do?