IMO Secretary-General sets new agenda for the maritime sector for the next four years.

The Secretary General of the IMO, Arsenio Domínguez, within the framework of a conference held at the IMO headquarters in London, shared the plans and areas of interest of the Organization for the next four years, with the aim of guaranteeing maritime transport safer, more secure and ecologically sound.

Specifically, Domínguez outlined four strategic priorities: the work of the IMO to regulate international maritime transport; its support to Member States, particularly small island developing States and least developed countries; improve awareness and public image; and relationships with people and stakeholders.

"As a global sector responsible for the transportation of more than 80% of global trade, maritime transportation is indispensable. One thing I am very focused on is making this Organization a more diverse, inclusive and transparent institution," said the Secretary General of the IMO.

Security and attacks in the Red Sea

The secretary general addressed various challenges and opportunities for the maritime sector. In this regard, he highlighted the continued attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, condemned the attacks and underlined the paramount importance of protecting the lives of seafarers. In addition, Domínguez also called for tensions to be reduced and the freedom of navigation of ships in the area to be guaranteed.

The volume of trade passing through the Suez Canal has fallen by 42% in the last two months, according to estimates by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The Secretary-General underlined the resilience of maritime transport in the face of global challenges and confirmed that IMO is actively engaging with countries, industry partners and the international community to find solutions.

Greenhouse gas emissions

The Secretary-General presented an update on IMO's work to decarbonise shipping by or around 2050. This makes it the first United Nations agency and the first sector to define a global strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including mandatory measures to meet the targets.

Along these lines, a calendar has been established, following the IMO processes:

March 2024 - Advance discussions on "medium-term measures" to support emissions reductions, in the medium term. These include a global marine fuel standard and pricing mechanism. The Marine Environment Protection Committee will consider, at its 81st session (MEPC 81), an interim report on the assessment of the impact that these measures will have on countries.

October 2024 - Completion of impact assessment (MEPC 82)

Spring 2025 - Approval of measures (MEPC 83)

Fall 2025 - Measures adopted (6 months after MEPC 83)

Transparency, diversity and inclusion

The Secretary-General underlined his commitment to fostering a culture of transparency, diversity and inclusion in the work of the IMO. In December 2023, the Organization piloted the live broadcast of the last session of the Assembly, the highest decision-making body of the Organization, which includes all 175 Member States. Committee and subcommittee meetings are also open to the media.

Since taking office on 1 January 2024, the Secretary-General has appointed a gender-balanced senior management team, enhanced multilingualism in IMO processes and established a policy of participating only in public events or panels in which there is gender representation.