Sea pollution due to waste, oil and waste and ballast water is a growing problem today. The International Maritime Organization is a specialized organization of the United Nations responsible for the safety and protection of maritime transport and the prevention of marine pollution from ships. A major part of the IMO's role is to ensure that shipping continues to make its contribution to the global economy without disrupting the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) deals with oil and oil pollution from ships, chemical pollution in bulk and solid state, and the discharge of all types of waste as well as waste water into the sea from ships, but also limits air pollutants contained in the exhaust gases of ships. IMO through conventions endeavours to prevent sea pollution by dumping waste and other substances, as well as to establish measures to resolve incidents should an incident occur. The recycling of ships is also specially regulated, taking into account the entire life of the ship and the materials used in order to reduce the use of unusable materials for the new construction of ships. The concentration of waste in the Adriatic is among the highest in Europe, and the main reason is the high volume of traffic, the semi-enclosed sea and the limited water exchange with other seas, which makes it susceptible to pollution and the introduction of non-native species and all the dangers caused by the discharge of ballast water. The future of maritime industry is greening of ships and their technical features as well as exploring the possibility of operating a ship with a limited crew or unmanned ships, thus IMO is still in the process of establishing how demanding autonomous ship operations are and how they can be addressed within the conventions and instruments of the IMO.