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The 26th Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is due to meet in London at the IMO Headquarters next week from November 23 to December 4.

All 169 Member States and three Associate Members are entitled to attend the Assembly, which is IMO's governing body. The intergovernmental organizations with which agreements of co-operation have been concluded and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with IMO are also invited to attend.

The Assembly normally meets once every two years in regular session. It is responsible for approving the work programme, voting the budget and determining the financial arrangements of the Organization. It also elects the 40-Member Council.

Review of the work of the Organization

The Assembly will review the work carried out by the Organization during the biennium 2008 2009, through the Council, the five IMO Committees and the Secretariat.

Highlights include

* the adoption, in October 2008, of amendments to MARPOL Annex VI to significantly reduce the emission of air pollutants from ships;

* the efforts made so far to develop a regulatory regime to address greenhouse gas emissions from ships

Action plans and budget submitted

The Organization's updated strategic and high-level action plans and the related results-based budget for 2010-2011 will be presented to the Assembly for adoption.

Adoption of resolutions

A number of draft resolutions have been submitted by the Maritime Safety, Marine Environment Protection, Legal and Facilitation Committees for adoption by the Assembly, which will also consider, for adoption, any resolutions submitted by the Council's 25th Extraordinary Session, which meets from 19 to 20 November.

Topics of interest to be covered by these resolutions include:

* Issuance of bunkers certificates by States to ships registered in a bareboat registry;

* Guidelines for ships operating in polar waters;

* Technical co-operation;

* Revised Code for the Implementation of Mandatory IMO Instruments;

* Further development of the Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme;