Glossary Archive

Legally binding agreements established by global maritime organisations to standardise regulations and ensure international shipping safety, security, and environmental protection. International Maritime Conventions are primarily developed and adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialised agency of the United Nations regulating shipping. These conventions are designed to create a uniform framework that governs various...

A specialised agency of the United Nations headquartered in London and responsible for regulating shipping, the IMO has 175 Member States. The IMO is responsible for improving the safety and security of international shipping and preventing pollution from ships. It is also involved in legal matters, including liability and compensation issues and the facilitation of...

A system of flags ships use to communicate messages, signals, or important information visually. Flags often represent letters, numbers, or specific meanings. International maritime signal flags are a standardised set of flags used globally in the marine industry to facilitate communication between vessels, ships, and shore stations. Each flag represents a letter of the alphabet,...

A diplomatic meeting held in 1884 in Washington, D.C., where representatives from 25 nations convened to establish a standard prime meridian for global navigation and timekeeping. The International Meridian Conference was a pivotal event in maritime history, addressing the need for a unified system of longitudinal reference to aid in navigation and time standardisation. Prior...

A standardised system of encoding text characters as sequences of dots (short signals) and dashes (long signals) used for communication, particularly in maritime and radio transmissions. International Morse Code is a globally recognised communication system that translates letters, numbers, and punctuation into a series of short and long signals, commonly referred to as "dots" and...

A series of meetings establishing global standards and regulations for using radiotelegraphy, particularly in maritime communication. The International Radiotelegraph Conference was a pivotal event in the history of maritime communication, bringing together representatives from various nations to create a unified framework for the use of radio frequencies, particularly in maritime contexts. These conferences were held...

Published by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), they set out, among other things, the "rules of the road" or navigation rules to be followed by ships and other vessels at sea to prevent collisions between two or more vessels. For more details & easy to understand explanations of the rules, see our rule book:

A specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for coordinating global telecommunication operations and services, including radio frequency allocation and satellite orbits. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is critical in global communications, particularly in the maritime sector. Established in 1865, the ITU is one of the oldest international organisations and has evolved to address the...

A series of meetings establishing global standards and regulations for using radiotelegraphy, particularly in maritime communication. The International Radiotelegraph Conference was a pivotal event in the history of maritime communication, bringing together representatives from various nations to create a unified framework for the use of radio frequencies, particularly in maritime contexts. These conferences were held...

Published by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), they set out, among other things, the "rules of the road" or navigation rules to be followed by ships and other vessels at sea to prevent collisions between two or more vessels. For more details & easy to understand explanations of the rules, see our rule book: