India was elected to the IMO Council under the category of 10 states with “the greatest interest in international maritime trade”.
London: India has been re-elected to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council after elections were held at its assembly in London for the 2022-23 biennial.
India’s election falls in the category of 10 states with the “greatest interest in international maritime trade” along with Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The newly elected council will formally meet on Wednesday for the 126th session of the IMO at the conclusion of the 32nd Assembly, when it will elect its president and vice-president for the next biennial.
“India has been re-elected to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council,” the Indian High Commission in London said in a Twitter statement after the election on Friday.
It said, “India’s delegation to the IMO extends its heartfelt thanks to all fellow member states, looks forward to working with all towards the realization of our common goals.”
The Council is the executive organ of the IMO and is responsible under the Assembly for overseeing the work of the organization. Between sessions of the Assembly, the Council carries out the functions of the Assembly, in addition to making recommendations to governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.
China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, UK and US were elected to the council under the category of 10 states with “the greatest interest in providing international shipping services”.
Meanwhile, another 20 states selected under the two categories were elected to the council to ensure representation of all major geographic regions of the world as having “special interest in maritime transport or navigation”. The 20 countries included in the list are Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and Vanuatu.
The 32nd Assembly of the IMO is currently meeting at the IMO Headquarters in London from 6 to 15 December. All 175 member states and three associate members are entitled to participate in the Assembly, the highest governing body of the IMO.
Intergovernmental organizations with which cooperation agreements have been concluded and international non-governmental organizations in a consultative position with the IMO are also invited to participate.
The Legislative Assembly normally meets once every two years in regular session. It is responsible for approving work programs, voting on the budget, and determining the organization’s financial arrangements. It also elects the organization’s 40-member council at these meetings for the next two-year term.
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