A volume containing contributions by 16 different authors is difficult to review in a critical way. The general theme, in the words of the Secretary-General of IMO, Mr Srivastava, is a “total picture” of the work of the Organization, now celebrating its 25th birthday. During that time, IMO has approved 20 international conventions, adopted more than 500 resolutions and formulated a number of codes.

The volume is divided into 20 papers falling within seven chapters: the structure of IMO and its relationship with other organizations; ship construction and design; cargoes and containers; navigation; training and technical assistance; transport and trade; and protection of the marine environment. The authors comprise academics, practitioners in law and marine professions, representatives of intergovernmental organizations, and one person whose undoubted qualifications to write the highly technical paper on the dangerous goods code do not appear. It is a little surprising that, apart from the short foreword by Mr Srivastava, there is no contribution by an employee of IMO. “Inside knowledge” of the workings of such an organization would have been particularly welcome, and more specifically some account of the process of formulating draft conventions to fill out the brief statement on pp. 10–11.

Most of the papers are descriptive in nature, as befits their often technical subject-matters. Particular papers of interest to lawyers include the carriage of passengers (Grime), the Limitation of Liability Convention (Coghlin), the Intervention Convention (McDorman and Gold) and oil pollution liability (Abecassis). In total, there is a substantial amount of information gathered together between the covers on topics which in some cases have escaped discussion in legal literature. The editor remarks that IMO is one of the best multilateral agencies of the United Nations. In terms of work brought to meaningful conclusions this must be a correct evaluation. Despite its high price for a camera-ready production, the merit of this book is that it brings this work to life.