The Philippines was reelected to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under Category C for the biennium 2020 to 2021 in elections at the recent 31st session of the General Assembly.
The elections saw 24 countries vie for 20 available seats under Category C, which comprises states with 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.
Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Antonio M. Lagdameo, who is also the country’s Permanent Representative to the IMO, said in his statement before the General Assembly that the Philippine candidature is predicated on the country’s unstinting commitment to work closely with the IMO and all member states to achieve the goal of making shipping safe, secure and environment-friendly. He said the Philippines actively pursues initiatives and policies that focus on the human element in shipping and puts a premium on the skills, competency, and well-being of Filipino seafarers who play a vital role in ensuring safe operations on board the ship and on the sea.
The Philippines has the largest number of maritime crew serving the international merchant fleet and has a growing shipbuilding sector, making it the fifth-largest shipbuilding nation in the world.
The Council to which the Philippines has been reelected is the executive organ of the IMO and is responsible for supervising the work of the organization.
The members of the Council under Category A are 10 states with the largest interest in providing international shipping services.
Those in Category B are 10 states with the largest interest in international seaborne trade.
The Philippines joins Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey in the list of member-states elected under Category C for the biennium 2020-2021. The 31st Assembly of the International Maritime Organization was held in London at the IMO Headquarters from November 25 to December 4, 2019.
Image credits: LordHarris