Spain is reelected as member of the Council of the IMO

The permanent representative of Spain in this Organization, Víctor Jiménez, will be candidate to presidency of this executive organ, role that he already carries out since 2021.

Spain has become again a members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the multilateral organism of the United Nations that regulates maritime transpot internationally. The elections have taken place on Friday at the sinus of the General Assembly that is celebrated these days in London, the one to which the minister of Transports and Sustainable Movility went, Óscar Puente. This way, once it forms part of the Council, Spain can present the candidacy to the presidency of the Council of the current president of the Council and Altern Permanent Representative of Spain before the Organization, Víctor Jiménez, that carries out this role since 2021. 

This election is the fruit of the intense work carried out during the last years in Spain in the sinus of the IMO, and the diplomacy labour done in the last days by the Spanish delegation that went to London led by the minister. Spain reinforces this way its position as referent in the decision-making related to the global maritime transoprt sector and shows that the delivery and the constant work give results.

Jiménez has expressed its satisfaction for the support obtained in the elections to the Council and has valued that the premanence of our country in this management organ of the IMO "will allow Spain to contiue giving its expert vision to build and boost a sustainable, agile and resilient maritime transport during the 2026-2027 period, that adopts green technologies and priorizes energetic transition, digitalization and a major international cooperation”. 

Spain will continue being an active agent in the development of policies that reinforce the maritime transport's safety, improve the work conditions of the sea people, reduce contamination coming from vessels and advance towards a future of clean energies and low emissions, at the same time that it boosts digitalization and revitalizes the multilateral cooperation in a moment full of uncertainties in which maritime transport keeps being the base to guarantee world market, given that over 80% of mercancies transport is by sea. 

The general director of the Marine Merchant, Ana Núñez, present during voting, has applauded the reelection of Spain as member of the Council and has wished the best of luck to Víctor Jiménez in the elections to the presidency of the Council, that will take place on December 4th. 

For Spain it is foundmental staying at first line in a moment of great debates, such as the development of decarbonization strategies of maritime transport internationally, oceans' protection or autonomous sailing. 

In Friday's, November 28th, reunion, the 40 members that will form part of the executive organ of the Organization during the first two years were chosen. Our country joins category B, which has the 10 countries with the major interests in international market. Since 1973, Spain forms part of the Council of the OMI, since 2001, it keeps its position in category B. 

The Council is also formed by a category A that has the 10 countries with major interests in the provision of international maritime services, and a category C, which includes 20 countries by geographic representation.