The UN Maritime Administration has announced that the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has elected Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco from Panama as its Secretary-General. Dominguez prevailed in a vote against six other candidates from Bangladesh, China, Dominica, Finland, Kenya and Turkey and is expected to take office on 1 January 2024, subject to approval at the 33rd IMO Assembly later this year. A term of office lasts four years.
Missed opportunities
This election marks a notable change in leadership, which has caused unease due to Panama's close ties with China and its controversial status as a flag of convenience. The shipping industry is questioning whether Panama, which is one of the world's leading shipping registries, should lead the IMO. Critics argue that the organisation has not yet sufficiently fulfilled its duty to regulate emissions from shipping. They also accuse flag of convenience states of often lax laws to protect seafarers, a lax attitude to investigating shipping accidents and the worrying registration of ghost fleet ships involved in the illegal transport of Russian oil, of which China is known to be the largest customer. This combination of Russian oil, Chinese customers and ships registered under flags of convenience is what the former Supreme Allied Commander, Admiral James Stavridis, called a "ticking time bomb".
Council meeting of the International Maritime Organisation. Photo: IMO
See also the article: Dangers of a "shadow fleet" from 11 July 2023.
Women at sea
The result of the election was also a setback for the representation of women in leadership positions. Although three strong female candidates from Dominica, Finland and Kenya stood, none were able to secure the required votes. This is seen as a missed opportunity to also address some of the pressing issues in the shipping industry: Sexual assault at sea and the gender imbalance in maritime roles.
About the person
Trained as a naval architect, Mr Dominguez has a wealth of experience in maritime matters. He initially worked for the Panamanian Maritime Authority and was also its IMO representative. Dominguez has been Director of the IMO's Marine Environment Division for a good six years. He replaces the current Secretary-General Kitack Lim from South Korea, who led the IMO for two terms.
The challenges
Two weeks before the election, the IMO agreed on a revised strategy to decarbonise the global shipping industry. This strategy aims to reduce emissions by at least 20 % by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Most climate experts agree that the IMO must take a strong leadership role if the global carbon targets are to be achieved. There is also a need to reconcile the demands of environmental sustainability and industry growth, while protecting seafarers from harassment and abuse.
Dominguez's appointment as Secretary-General over the next four years will therefore be of great importance as the IMO endeavours to implement its ambitious environmental agenda while maintaining its regulatory mandate. It therefore remains to be seen how this dynamic will unfold under his leadership. Time will tell whether Arsenio Dominguez will play this leadership role on the world stage, travelling to heads of state and government at global summits, or whether, like some of his predecessors, he will mainly 'disappear' into the smoke-filled rooms of IMO headquarters in London.
Source: gCaptain
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