Update from the IMO

The Council of the IMO met to discuss a wide range matters affecting the business and finances of our global regulator, and to receive updates on the activities of many IMO bodies.

Another busy week at the International Maritime Organization in London has come to an end.

The Council of the IMO met to discuss a wide range matters affecting the business and finances of our global regulator, and to receive updates on the activities of many IMO bodies.  We were represented by our Senior Technical Advisor Captain Chris O’Flaherty AFNI.

The promotion of the wellbeing of seafarers was highlighted when the Secretary General noted to the meeting that the UN Human Rights Council recently (July 2024) passed a resolution “Promoting and protecting the enjoyment of human rights by seafarers”, which urges States to recognise seafarers as key workers.

The IMO’s council was briefed on the recent change in name and status of the (former) International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), which has become an Inter-Governmental Organisation (known colloquially as an IGO) and has been renamed to The International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation.

When discussing the status of various global maritime conventions, the Council was informed that Nigeria, Namibia and Argentina had recently acceded to some existing IMO instruments, further enhancing the common regulatory baseline of global shipping.

More details on other IMO meetings will be published in the next edition of our ‘Seaways’ magazine.