The new Secretary General said the safety of seafarers must be a priority in the navigation of ongoing conflict in regions such as the Red Sea. The International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) new Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez has outlined his top priorities for the year ahead, focussing on seafarer safety and continuing the environmental progress made by the GHG targets agreed in 2023. Speaking at the IMO headquarters in London, UK, Dominguez, whose appointment was confirmed during the UN organisation’s 33rd Assembly in December 2023, outlined his strategic priorities for the beginning of his tenure including: Safety, Support for Member States, People, and the IMO’s regulatory work. The secretary general, the IMO’s youngest ever at 53, also stressed the importance of seafarers and their safety to the work of the organisation, especially during the 50th anniversary of the Safety of Lives at Sea (SOLAS) convention, admitting it was an “unprecedented” time but describing the maritime industry as “resilient”. He referenced events such as the tense situation in the Red Sea, describing maritime workers as “innocent victims” in the ongoing conflict in the region and highlighting their essential role in the industry with the phrase “no seafarers, no shipping, no shopping”.

LINK: https://seafarertimes.com/2020-21/node/8830