The International Maritime Prize is awarded annually by the IMO Council to the individual or organization judged to have made the most significant contribution to the work and objectives of IMO.

The International Maritime Prize consists of a sculpture in the form of a dolphin and includes a financial award. The winner of the annual prize is also invited to write a paper on a theme relating to the work of IMO.

Even though it is possible for the Council not to grant the award if no suitable candidate has been nominated, this has never happened since the award has been offered for the first time in 1980. Nominations for the prize can only be made either by governments of states that are members of the IMO, by organizations, bodies and programmes that are part of the United Nations, by intergovernmental organizations which signed an agreement of co-operation with the IMO or by non-governmental international organizations enjoying consultative status.

In 1998 the International Maritime Rescue Federation was the first and until now the only organization to which the prize was awarded. In 2010 Linda Johnson was the first female laureat.

  source:https://www.imo.org