More than 90% of the world's cargo-carrying ships’ tonnage is covered by the classification standards set by member societies of IACS.
[1] Marine classification is a system for promoting the safety of life, property and the environment primarily through the establishment and verification of compliance with technical and engineering standards for the design, construction and life-cycle maintenance of ships, offshore units and other marine-related facilities.
IACS provides a forum within which the member societies can discuss, research, and adopt technical criteria that enhance maritime safety and environmental protection.
The convention recommended collaboration between classification societies to secure "as much uniformity as possible in the application of the standards of strength upon which freeboard is based...".
[7][8] IACS is a non-commercial, technical collaboration association to establish, review, develop, and promote minimum technical requirements in relation to the design, construction, maintenance and survey of ships and other marine related facilities and to assist international regulatory bodies in the development and interpretation of statutory regulations to help ensure their universal and uniform application, with a view to improving safety at sea and marine environmental protection.
Once adopted, these interpretations are applied by each IACS member society, when certifying compliance with the statutory regulations on behalf of authorizing flag states.
Reporting to the Council is the General Policy Group (GPG), made up of a senior management representative from each member society.
To promote maritime safety and clean seas, IACS and its individuals carry out research and development on marine-related topics, providing technical support and verifying compliance with published standards.