7.1 The RO shall develop, implement and maintain
an effective internal quality management system that complies with
the requirements of this Code and is based on appropriate parts of
internationally recognized quality standards no less effective than
the ISO 9000 series.
7.2 The RO's quality management system shall be
periodically assessed and certified in accordance with the applicable
international quality standards by a qualified body, accredited to
comply with ISO/IEC 17021:2006 standard by an accreditation body that
is signatory to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Multinational
Recognition Agreement (MRA), recognized by the flag State as having
the necessary governance and competences to act independently of the
ROs or their associations and having the necessary means to carry
out its duties effectively and to the highest professional standards,
safeguarding the independence of the persons performing them.
7.3 In pursuance of continually improving RO and
flag State services, IMO endeavours to closely monitor the certification
and audit process of the RO and its implementation to ensure its continued
relevance and validity to the maritime industry in general and to
the ROs, in particular. IMO will establish the working methods and
rules of procedure for such monitoring.