Bangladesh among countries contesting for IMO Council on Dec 1

Bangladesh is among the countries which will contest on December 1 to become council members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Bangladesh will contest from category C with the maximum numbers of candidates.

The Assembly, at its thirty-third session, will elect 40 members of the council as provided for in Articles 16 and 17 of the IMO Convention, reports UNB.

The Assembly began on November 27 and will continue till December 6.

A new 40-member IMO Council for the 2024-2025 biennium will be elected.

The election will take place on Friday, by in-person secret ballot.

The newly elected Council will meet on December 7 (for the Council’s 131st session) and will elect its chair and vice-chair.

Candidates under category A: States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services are China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and the United States.

Candidates under category B are the states with the largest interest in international seaborne trade. The counties are Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.

In category C are states not elected under (A) or (B) above and which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation, and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world. The countries are Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkiye and Vanuatu.

IMO is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. IMO’s work supports the UN SDGs.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem has been unanimously elected with 150 votes as the first vice president of the 33rd Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London.

This is the first time Bangladesh and its PR has ever been voted to one of the highest positions of the prestigious IMO General Assembly of 175 member states that meets biennially in London to adopt all regulatory, financial, legal, and technical co-operation decisions of the global maritime industry and government.

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Khalid bin Bandar al Saud was elected president on November 27, said the Bangladesh High Commission in London on Tuesday.

The vice-chair is elected by the IMO Secretariat based on nominations and votes cast by permanent representatives of 175 present and voting member states of the IMO Assembly.