page_title: International Maritime Organization
section_title: Membership
hierarchical_section_title: International Maritime Organization / Membership
context_page_description: The International Maritime Organization until 1982, is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference held in Geneva in 1948 and the IMO came into existence ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959. Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, the IMO currently has 174 member states and three associate members.
  The IMO's primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping. IMO is governed by an assembly of members and is financially administered by a council of members elected from the assembly. The work of IMO is conducted through five committees and these are supported by technical subcommittees. Other UN organisations may observe the proceedings of the IMO. Observer status is granted to qualified non-governmental organisations.
  IMO is supported by a permanent secretariat of employees who are representative of the organisation's members.
context_section_description: To become a member of the IMO, a state ratifies a multilateral treaty known as the Convention on the International Maritime Organization. As of 2020, there are 174 member states of the IMO, which includes 173 of the UN member states plus the Cook Islands. The first state to ratify the convention was the United Kingdom in 1949. The most recent members to join were Armenia and Nauru, which became IMO members in January and May 2018, respectively.
  These are the current members with the year they joined:
  Albania (1993)
  
  Algeria (1963)
  
  Angola (1977)
  
  Antigua and Barbuda (1986)
  
  Argentina (1953)
  
  Armenia (2018)
  
  Australia (1952)
  
  Austria (1975)
  
  Azerbaijan (1995)
  
  Bahamas (1976)
  
  Bahrain (1976)
  
  Bangladesh (1976)
  
  Barbados (1970)
  
  Belarus (2016)
  
  Belgium (1951)
  
  Belize (1990)
  
  Benin (1980)
  
  Bolivia (1987)
  
  Bosnia and Herzegovina (1993)
  
  Brazil (1963)
  
  Brunei Darussalam (1984)
  
  Bulgaria (1960)
  
  Cabo Verde (1976)
  
  Cambodia (1961)
  
  Cameroon (1961)
  
  Canada (1948)
  
  Chile (1972)
  
  China (1973)
  
  Colombia (1974)
  
  Comoros (2001)
  
  Congo (1975)
  
  Cook Islands (2008)
  
  Costa Rica (1981)
  
  Côte d'Ivoire (1960)
  
  Croatia (1992)
  
  Cuba (1966)
  
  Cyprus (1973)
  
  Czechia (1993)
  
  Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1986)
  
  Democratic Republic of the Congo (1973)
  
  Denmark (1959)
  
  Djibouti (1979)
  
  Dominica (1979)
  
  Dominican Republic (1953)
  
  Ecuador (1956)
  
  Egypt (1958)
  
  El Salvador (1981)
  
  Equatorial Guinea (1972)
  
  Eritrea (1993)
  
  Estonia (1992)
  
  Ethiopia (1975)
  
  Fiji (1983)
  
  Finland (1959)
  
  France (1952)
  
  Gabon (1976)
  
  Gambia (1979)
  
  Georgia (1993)
  
  Germany (1959)
  
  Ghana (1959)
  
  Greece (1958)
  
  Grenada (1998)
  
  Guatemala (1983)
  
  Guinea (1975)
  
  Guinea-Bissau (1977)
  
  Guyana (1980)
  
  Haiti (1953)
  
  Honduras (1954)
  
  Hungary (1970)
  
  Iceland (1960)
  
  India (1959)
  
  Indonesia (1961)
  
  Iran (1958)
  
  Iraq (1973)
  
  Ireland (1951)
  
  Israel (1952)
  
  Italy (1957)
  
  Jamaica (1976)
  
  Japan (1958)
  
  Jordan (1973)
  
  Kazakhstan (1994)
  
  Kenya (1973)
  
  Kiribati (2003)
  
  Kuwait (1960)
  
  Latvia (1993)
  
  Lebanon (1966)
  
  Liberia (1959)
  
  Libya (1970)
  
  Lithuania (1995)
  
  Luxembourg (1991)
  
  Madagascar (1961)
  
  Malawi (1989)
  
  Malaysia (1971)
  
  Maldives (1967)
  
  Malta (1966)
  
  Marshall Islands (1998)
  
  Mauritania (1961)
  
  Mauritius (1978)
  
  Mexico (1954)
  
  Monaco (1989)
  
  Mongolia (1996)
  
  Montenegro (2006)
  
  Morocco (1962)
  
  Mozambique (1979)
  
  Myanmar (1951)
  
  Namibia (1994)
  
  Nauru (2018)
  
  Nepal (1979)
  
  Netherlands (1949)
  
  New Zealand (1960)
  
  Nicaragua (1982)
  
  Nigeria (1962)
  
  North Macedonia (1993)
  
  Norway (1958)
  
  Oman (1974)
  
  Pakistan (1958)
  
  Palau (2011)
  
  Panama (1958)
  
  Papua New Guinea (1976)
  
  Paraguay (1993)
  
  Peru (1968)
  
  Philippines (1964)
  
  Poland (1960)
  
  Portugal (1976)
  
  Qatar (1977)
  
  Republic of Korea (1962)
  
  Republic of Moldova (2001)
  
  Romania (1965)
  
  Russian Federation (1958)
  
  Saint Kitts and Nevis (2001)
  
  Saint Lucia (1980)
  
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1981)
  
  Samoa (1996)
  
  San Marino (2002)
  
  São Tomé and Príncipe (1990)
  
  Saudi Arabia (1969)
  
  Senegal (1960)
  
  Serbia (2000)
  
  Seychelles (1978)
  
  Sierra Leone (1973)
  
  Singapore (1966)
  
  Slovakia (1993)
  
  Slovenia (1993)
  
  Solomon Islands (1988)
  
  Somalia (1978)
  
  South Africa (1995)
  
  Spain (1962)
  
  Sri Lanka (1972)
  
  Sudan (1974)
  
  Suriname (1976)
  
  Sweden (1959)
  
  Switzerland (1955)
  
  Syria (1963)
  
  Tanzania (1974)
  
  Thailand (1973)
  
  Timor-Leste (2005)
  
  Togo (1983)
  
  Tonga (2000)
  
  Trinidad and Tobago (1965)
  
  Tunisia (1963)
  
  Turkey (1958)
  
  Turkmenistan (1993)
  
  Tuvalu (2004)
  
  Uganda (2009)
  
  Ukraine (1994)
  
  United Arab Emirates (1980)
  
  United Kingdom (1949)
  
  United States of America (1950)
  
  Uruguay (1968)
  
  Vanuatu (1986)
  
  Venezuela (1975)
  
  Viet Nam (1984)
  
  Yemen (1979)
  
  Zambia (2014)
  
  Zimbabwe (2005)
  The three associate members of the IMO are the Faroe Islands, Hong Kong and Macao.
  In 1961, the territories of Sabah and Sarawak, which had been included through the participation of United Kingdom, became joint associate members. In 1963 they became part of Malaysia.
  Most UN member states that are not members of IMO are landlocked countries. These include Afghanistan, Andorra, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Leso
caption: International Maritime Organization as of 2014:   member states    associate members