The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) will begin a three-day visit to India when he arrives in Mumbai for talks with senior government officials on topics including unlocking green growth and jobs to make shipping more sustainable for all.
Arsenio Dominguez is embarking on his first India tour since taking charge at the London-headquartered IMO last year and has talks scheduled with industry representatives and the seafaring community to discuss further actions to support seafarers, protect the marine environment and decarbonise shipping.
Ahead of the visit, he highlighted India’s “significant global role” in supplying a large share of the 2 million seafarers who enable international trade, as well as championing innovations in ship recycling and sustainable ports.
The event brings together industry leaders, policymakers and technologists to discuss advancements in alternative fuels, green ship technologies, sustainable port operations, and financial mechanisms. On Thursday, he will join Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal for a joint press conference at the conclave.
Dominguez is also expected to address seafarers at local maritime institutions, visit the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), and participate in policy dialogues with a wide range of stakeholders. IMO is the United Nations specialised agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. It has 176 member states, with India re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council for the 2024-25 biennium.
The Council is the executive organ of the IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the organisation. India’s re-election in December 2023 falls under the Category of 10 states with “the largest interest in international seaborne trade”, alongside Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to the IMO, more than 80 per cent of global trade is delivered by sea. This means food, fuel, medicine, and most everyday goods are all delivered by the roughly 2 million seafarers who work on ships. The IMO is charged with providing a robust regulatory framework to support this global shipping system, including through more than 50 international conventions, protocols and numerous guidelines and standards.
