Four African members elected to IMO Council

IMO Council 2024-2025 biennium

Yesterday’s election yielded the anticipated results in Category A and B of the International Maritime Organisation’s Council, while a hotly contested Category C left one of the African candidates disappointed with the results.

The Council for the forthcoming 2024-2025 biennium, however, will include four African Member States. With Russia’s status in the IMO under scrutiny, it was no surprise to see Liberia elected into Category A at the expense of Russia. This represented the only change to the category that consists of 10 States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services.

With no new candidates vying for a position in Category B, the status quo has been maintained amongst the 10 States with the largest interest in international seaborne trade.

Competition for a spot in Category C, was the most contested with 25 Member States all vying for one of the 20 available positions. This category includes Member States that have not been elected within the other categories, but whose election ensures that the Council represents all major geographic areas of the world.

Of the four candidates aiming for election that were not on the previous Council, only Bangladesh and Finland were successful in their campaigns. Poland and South Africa will have to be content to regroup for the next election at the end of 2025.

The three African countries that were re-elected into Category C are Egypt, Kenya and Morocco.

The Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the organisation. Between sessions of the Assembly, the Council performs the functions of the Assembly, except that of making recommendations to Governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.

The newly elected Council will meet, following the conclusion of the 33rd Assembly, for its 131st session on 7 December to elect its Chair and Vice-Chair for the next biennium.