Captain Luis Díaz-Monclus (Venezuela) elected Chairman of IMO Council

Council 91st Session: 5 December 2003

The IMO Council, at its 91st session on 5th December 2003, elected Captain Luis Díaz-Monclus from Venezuela as Chairman. The Vice-Chairman, Mr. Johan Franson from Sweden was re-elected.

Captain Díaz-Monclus is Managing Director, Control of Shipping & Search and Rescue (SAR), Venezuelan Maritime Authority, and has a long association with IMO.

As Permanent Representative of Venezuela to IMO - based in London - from 1997-2000, Captain Díaz-Monclus attended all IMO Sub Committee, Committee meetings, Council and Assemblies. He was also Chairman and Vice-Chairman of GRULAC (Group of Delegates from Latin America and the Caribbean Countries) from 1998-2000. In addition, he was a Member of the Board of Governors of the World Maritime University (1998-2000).

In 2003, he was Vice-Chairman (Committee of the Whole) of the Diplomatic Conference on the establishment of a supplementary fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage and in 2002 Vice-Chairman of the International Co-operation on Preparedness and Response to Pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS-OPRC Conference).
Captain Díaz-Monclus has also served as Vice-Chairman of the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund 1992 Executive Committee during 2002.

Captain Díaz is a naval officer who graduated from the Naval Academy of Venezuela where he also obtained his Bachelors Degree in Naval Sciences. In 1988, he obtained a Masters Degree in Maritime Safety Administration from the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden. In 1990, he obtained a Masters Degree from the Central University of Venezuela.

Council Members
The Members of the Council, elected by the 23rd Assembly for 2004-2005, are as follows:

Category (a)	10 States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services: China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States.
Category (b)	10 other States with the largest interest in international seaborne trade: Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden.
Category (c)	20 States not elected under (a) or (b) above which have 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: Algeria, Australia, Bahamas, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Malta, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, Venezuela.

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Lee Adamson, Senior External Relations Officer on 020 7587 3153 (media@imo.org) or
Natasha Brown, External Relations Officer on 020 7587 3274 (media@imo.org ).