The IMO Assembly met for its 33rd session from 27 November – 6 December 2023. For the first time, plenary sessions of the Assembly were live- streamed to the public

IMO awards event

On the first day of the Assembly, 27 November, IMO hosted the annual IMO Awards Ceremony. Details can be found here.

Strategic Plan

The Assembly adopted the Strategic Plan for the six-year period 2024 to 2029. The eight strategic directions are:

• SD 1: Ensure implementation of IMO instruments supported by capacity development
• SD 2: Integrate new, emerging and advancing technologies in the regulatory framework
• SD 3: Respond to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping
• SD 4: Continue to engage in ocean governance
• SD 5: Enhance global facilitation, supply chain resilience and security of international trade
• SD 6: Address the human element
• SD 7: Ensure the regulatory effectiveness of international shipping
• SD 8: Ensure organizational effectiveness

Budget and work programme

The Assembly adopted the Organization’s budget and work programme for 2024 and 2025.

The Organization’s results-based budget for the 2024-2025 biennium is £83,653,000 comprising an appropriation of £40,923,000 for 2024 and an appropriation of £42,730,000 for 2025. This will be largely financed by contributions from Member States, of £73,153,000, comprising £35,572,000 for 2024 and £37,581,000 for 2025.

Election of members of the IMO Council  

A new 40-Member IMO Council for the 2024-2025 biennium was elected. Read more here.

The newly elected Council met on 7 December (for the Council’s 131st session) and re -elected its Chair: Mr. Victor Jiménez. (Spain) and Vice-Chair: Mrs. Amane Fethallah (Morocco).

Appointment of the Secretary-General   

The Assembly approved the appointment of Mr. Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco (Republic of Panama) as IMO Secretary-General, for an initial four-year term starting on 1 January 2024.

The Assembly adopted an Assembly Resolution on Appreciation of the Services to the Organization of Mr. Kitack Lim.

Other resolutions  

The Assembly adopted a number of resolutions on key aspects of the Organization’s work, including:

• Guidelines on places of refuge for ships in need of assistance
• Recommendations emanating from the joint action group to review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world’s transport workers and the global supply chain (JAG-TSC)
• Survey Guidelines under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification, 2023
• 2023 Non-exhaustive list of obligations under instruments relevant to the IMO Instruments Implementation Code (III Code)
• Procedures for port State control, 2023
• 2023 Guidelines on the implementation of the ISM Code by Administrations
• The enhancement of multilingualism
• On the impact of the Russian armed invasion of Ukraine on international shipping
• Implementation of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009
• Urging Member States and all relevant stakeholders to promote actions to prevent illegal operations in the maritime sector by the ‘dark fleet’ or ‘shadow fleet’
• Enhancing the framework of the fight against organized crime in the maritime sector

Source: IMO