ABSTRACT
Global governance by maritime institutions has taken two different tacks over the past century, as represented by the institutions examined in this chapter. One approach began with a focus on the legal issues pertaining to international shipping. For centuries, or perhaps even millennia, shipping has been the main way that goods have been transported internationally. Even now, 95 percent of all international trade as measured by weight and two-thirds as measured by volume is transported on the ocean by ships.1 Since the high seas do not belong to any sovereign state, rules about conduct on the open ocean can only be implemented by international agreement. Initial efforts to govern ocean spaces involved issues of liability and salvage rights at sea, followed by rules on assistance to ships on the high seas. These evolved over time into agreements to increase the level of safety on ships, with an increasing concern (especially in the wake of the Titanic disaster) for those who work or travel on them. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the international institution that addresses these issues.
