The Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) concluded its 84th session with a commitment to rebuild consensus on global shipping emissions, while sounding the alarm over environmental risks in the Strait of Hormuz and adopting new measures to curb air pollution in the Northeast Atlantic.
Closing the meeting, held from 27 April to 1 May 2026 in London, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said: “We are back on track, but we have to rebuild trust. I encourage you to maintain this momentum through your intersessional work and to prepare submissions that can bring the membership together.”
The Committee will resume the Second Extraordinary Session on Friday 4 December 2026, subject to confirmation by the 85th session scheduled to convene 30 November to 3 December.
IMO Net Zero Framework
Nearly 100 delegations took the floor this week to voice their views on the adoption of “mid-term measures” to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships - known as the IMO Net-Zero Framework - with multiple proposals tabled on how to take forward negotiations.
The Committee agreed to establish an intersessional Working Group to resolve various concerns and drive broader convergence on a global measure ahead of MEPC 85 in six months. Member States will be able to submit new amendments and adjustments to the draft amendments previously approved.
Two inter-sessional meetings will be scheduled (1 to 4 September and 23 to 27 November) ahead of MEPC 85 (30 November to 3 December), as well as a one-day expert workshop on “chain of custody” models, which track fuel origin and movement of fuels across the supply chain, ensuring emissions are properly traced and verified. The second extraordinary session of MEPC it scheduled to resume on 4 December, subject to discussions at MEPC 85.
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#marineenvironment
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has called on all Member States to support efforts to address the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where around 20,000 seafarers remain trapped and unable to leave.
In an informal briefing to Member States and industry representatives, Secretary-General Dominguez confirmed that several vessels had been seized and detained in the region over the past few days.
He urged maximum caution, considering potential mines present throughout the Strait and threat of further attacks on ships.
“My call is to release the seafarers because they are not at fault,” he said. “The situation is not improving. I reiterate: there is no safe transit anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz.”
He highlighted that 29 attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz had been verified by IMO since the beginning of the conflict, resulting in the death of at least 10 seafarers and damage to the vessels. Around 20,000 seafarers on around 1,600 vessels remain in the Gulf.
Seafarers’ welfare
With the conflict now in its eighth week, Secretary-General Dominguez warned that supplies on ships stuck in the Persian Gulf - including water, food and fuel - will start running short. He appreciated the ongoing support from countries in the region in providing essential supplies and provisions.
Secretary-General Dominguez urged all flag States, NGOs, industry bodies and the States of nationality of the seafarers to offer any assistance, including through remote support, helplines and keeping families informed. He also highlighted the importance of fair treatment of seafarers in terms of welfare and payment of wages.
“I spoke to a seafarer who had been trapped in the Persian Gulf for more than six weeks. Aside from the exhaustion and toll on mental health of the crews, they feel invisible, that they are not valued. There is much more we need to do,” he told delegates.
Full press release via link in bio.
#straitofhormuz #seafarers #seafarerwelfare
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez recently spoke with a #seafarer stranded in the #StraitofHormuz. His account of the stress and uncertainty he faced was deeply moving. Secretary-General Dominguez assured him he will redouble his efforts at IMO to support seafarers everywhere.
The International Maritime Organization’s Legal Committee has approved a new set of guidelines to improve transparency and due diligence in ship registration, as well as prevent fraudulent registrations and misuse of flags.
The guidelines help to close a key regulatory gap for the maritime industry, given there is currently no binding international framework to regulate the registration of ships.
The newly approved Guidelines will assist new and existing flag State ship registries by providing practical measures to strengthen verification and due diligence, ensure accurate ownership records, and improve oversight of registration procedures.
Click link in bio for full story, including details on:
🚢 IMO Secretary-General closing statement
🚢 Substandard shipping
🚢 Strait of Hormuz
🚢 Fair treatment of seafarers
🚢 Liability and compensation regime related to alternative fuels
20,000 seafarers are still stranded in the Persian Gulf. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, speaking to @cnn International Richard Quest - @questinny - highlighted the urgent need for de-escalation, diplomacy and safe evacuation of ships and seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz while upholding international law.
#Hormuz #Seafarers #Maritime #InternationalLaw #GlobalShipping
Belgium, Germany, the Kingdom of Netherlands and Sweden deposit ratifications to 2010 HNS Convention.
Four States deposited their instruments of ratification of the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 2010 (2010 HNS Convention), bringing the treaty’s entry into force a step closer.
The 2010 HNS Convention aims to ensure adequate, prompt, and effective compensation for those affected by incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) carried on seagoing ships. This is particularly relevant given the increasing amounts of chemicals and alternative fuels being transported in bulk by sea.
There are now 12 Contracting States* to the 2010 Protocol to the HNS Convention, meeting the number of States criteria for entry into force. The treaty requires at least 12 States to express their consent to be bound by it, including four States each with not less than 2 million units of gross tonnage. Five of the eight States which had previously ratified the treaty had more than 2 million units of gross tonnage each.
The Protocol additionally requires States to submit to the IMO Secretary-General at the deposit of the instrument of ratification and annually thereafter, on or before 31 May (until the Protocol enters into force for that State), data on the total quantities of HNS contributing cargo liable for contributions received in that State during the preceding calendar year.
The 2010 HNS Protocol will enter into force 18 months after the contracting Parties have received during the preceding calendar year a total quantity of at least 40 million tonnes of cargo contributing to the HNS general account. The total quantity received by Belgium, Germany, the Kingdom of Netherlands and Sweden in 2025 is almost 28 million tonnes of HNS contributing cargo.
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The IMO Legal Committee (113th Session) is officially in session at IMO Headquarters. ⚖️
With a packed agenda ahead, we sat down with Dorota Lost-Siemińska, the Director of Legal Affairs and External Relations, to discuss the most pressing issues on the table this week.
#MaritimeLaw #LegalCommittee #Shipping #Maritime #IMO
“Fragmented responses are no longer sufficient”: IMO Secretary-General
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has urged States to support diplomatic efforts to secure the evacuation of around 20,000 seafarers still stranded in the Persian Gulf, and enable humanitarian corridors for urgent assistance.
During a virtual meeting for Foreign Ministers from more than 40 countries hosted by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Secretary-General Dominguez called on all Parties to respect for the rights and freedoms of navigation and stressed the paramount importance of the safety and wellbeing of seafarers.
He emphasized the need for de-escalation and operational maritime solutions rather than purely military approaches.
“Fragmented responses are no longer sufficient to resolve this crisis. What is urgently required is diplomatic engagement, practical and neutral solutions, and coordinated international action,” he said following the meeting.
“IMO is advancing a maritime evacuation framework built on coastal State cooperation, security guarantees and operational coordination, with the clear objective of releasing stranded vessels, enabling safe crew rotations and preventing an environmental disaster.”
Full story: link in bio
#StraitofHormuz #Seafarers
The Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has strongly condemned the threats and attacks against vessels and purported closure of the Strait of Hormuz, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which have adversely affected merchant and commercial vessels and threatened the safety and welfare of seafarers.
The Council called for a coordinated approach to security be adopted and that the response be internationally coordinated. It reiterated that the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels, in accordance with international law, must be respected.
In his closing remarks, IMO Secretary-General said: “Let it be the responsibility of each and every one of us to demonstrate that inaction is not an option, that words alone are not sufficient. Together, we can drive the change required to protect the wellbeing of those who have no voice and safeguard the principle of freedom of navigation.
Protection, safety and welfare of seafarers:
The Council urged that all attacks on ships affecting innocent civilian seafarers be halted immediately. It called upon Member States to ensure the continuous provision of water, food, fuel and other essential supplies to ships currently unable to leave the region.
States were encouraged to facilitate crew change and crew renewal operations in accordance with international standards, to safeguard the health, safety and well-being of the seafarers affected. The Council urged States to ensure that seafarers’ communication with their families and friends can be maintained and that stores and provisions remain adequate for their needs.
The Council called for a coordinated international approach to the safety of navigation, taking into account the fatigue and pressure of those on board, the master’s overriding authority, as well as the risks associated with transiting the area while Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) suffer extensive jamming and spoofing.
Click link in bio for full press briefing.
“I will never get tired of repeating myself when I say that any attack on innocent seafarers or civilian shipping is totally unacceptable” said IMO Secretary-General as he opened the Extraordinary Session of the Council to address the impacts on shipping & seafarers in the #StraitofHormuz
En el marco de la conmemoración del aniversario de la entrada en vigor del Convenio Constitutivo de la Organización Marítima Internacional (OMI), este 17 de marzo, la Comisión Centroamericana de Transporte Marítimo (COCATRAM) se suma al reconocimiento del importante rol que este organismo ha desempeñado en el desarrollo del transporte marítimo internacional.
Adoptado en 1948 y vigente desde 1958, el Convenio que dio origen a la OMI estableció las bases de la cooperación internacional para promover un transporte marítimo seguro, eficiente y respetuoso.
Desde entonces, la OMI ha construido un sólido marco normativo que hoy incluye más de 50 convenios internacionales, entre los que destacan instrumentos fundamentales como el Convenio SOLAS, el Convenio MARPOL y el Convenio STCW, pilares de la seguridad marítima, la protección ambiental y la formación de la gente de mar a nivel global.
En Centroamérica, la cooperación estratégica entre la OMI y COCATRAM ha permitido impulsar iniciativas orientadas a fortalecer la implementación de estas normativas internacionales, a través de asistencia técnica, programas de capacitación y proyectos regionales desarrollados junto a los Estados Miembros de la Red Operativa de Cooperación Regional de Autoridades Marítimas de Centroamérica (ROCRAM-CA).
En este nuevo aniversario, COCATRAM reconoce el liderazgo de la OMI en la gobernanza marítima internacional y renueva su compromiso de continuar trabajando de manera conjunta para fortalecer la correcta implementación de los Instrumentos OMI y promover acciones que contribuyan a un transporte marítimo cada vez más seguro, eficiente y sostenible en la región de Centroamérica y en el mundo.
@imo_hq@cocatram.oficial@chesposalgado
#OMI #ConvenioConstitutivo #COCATRAM #MOU #AlianzasEstrategicas
Entre el 11 y el 13 de marzo de 2026 se realizó en la Ciudad de Panamá el Taller Regional para la Implementación del Código Internacional de Gestión de la Seguridad (Código IGS), una instancia destinada a fortalecer la aplicación de este instrumento clave para la seguridad marítima en América Latina. La actividad fue auspiciada por la Organización Marítima Internacional (OMI) y coordinada por la Comisión Centroamericana de Transporte Marítimo (COCATRAM), con el apoyo de la Autoridad Marítima de Panamá.
El encuentro que reunió a 26 funcionarios de autoridades marítimas y compañías del sector de distintos países de la región, permitió a los participantes analizar los principales desafíos, brechas y deficiencias en la implementación del Código IGS, considerando experiencias derivadas de auditorías internacionales y prácticas operacionales en distintos Estados.
Además, se revisó el análisis del estudio de la OMI sobre la efectividad del Código IGS, cuyas conclusiones fueron discutidas en sesiones de trabajo grupal orientadas a identificar mejoras en los sistemas de gestión de la seguridad.
Entre los expositores destacaron el oficial de la OMI Ismael Cobos y el consultor internacional Hans Ekdahl, especialista con amplia experiencia en seguridad marítima y trayectoria en la Dirección General del Territorio Marítimo y de Marina Mercante de Chile ( @dgtm_chile )
Lee la nota completa aquí: .ni/taller-regional-sobre-la-implementacion-del-codigo-igs-fortalece-capacidades-de-seguridad-maritima/
@imo_hq@cocatram.oficial@amp_panama@hans_ekdahl
#InstrumentosOMI #CodigoIGS #CooperacionTecnica #Centroamerica
