Technical Cooperation Committee - 75th session (TC 75), 2-6 June 2025

The Technical Cooperation Committee held its seventy-fifth session at IMO Headquarters in London (in-person with hybrid participation) from 2 to 6 June 2025. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Ambassador Dwight Gardiner of Antigua and Barbuda, supported by Vice‑Chair, Ms. Anays Berrocal of Panama.   

• Thematic Exchange Day: Workshop and exhibition on technical cooperation (5 June)
• Secretary-General's opening speech / closing speech  
• Photo gallery  

TC 75 highlights: 

1. Capacity Development Strategy approved
2. ITCP for 2026-2027 approved
3. E-learning Implementation Plan in development
4. "Advancing maritime education and training for the global maritime sector" output agreed
5. IMO regional presence expanded
6. Capacity-development for women in maritime
7. IMO Member State Audit Scheme 
8. Technical Cooperation 2024 annual report
9. Resource mobilization 
10. Partnership arrangements
11. Revised outputs agreed

Capacity Development Strategy approved

The Committee approved the draft Capacity Development Strategy, and the associated draft Assembly resolution, for submission to the IMO Assembly, at its thirty-fourth session (A 34, 24 November -3 December).

This draft revised comprehensive strategy combines the existing Capacity-Building Decade 2021-2030 Strategy (resolution A.1166(32)), with both the Revised financing and partnership arrangements for an effective and sustainable integrated technical cooperation programme (resolution A.1167(32)) and the draft Strategy for resource mobilization for IMO's technical cooperation  activities (TC 68/4(a)).

The Strategy aims to support Member States, including developing countries, in particular SIDS and LDCs, in: the adoption, implementation and enhancement of compliance with IMO instruments; addressing the needs of Member States; and achieving the maritime aspects of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs, through a focus on supporting the development and implementation of robust national maritime policies and strategies predicated on harnessing the full potential of the maritime economies while taking into account the protection of the marine environment and sustainable shipping practices.

The Strategy identifies thematic priorities as well as cross cutting themes, to ensure the effective delivery of capacity development programmes, projects and initiatives.

The Vision of the Strategy is "to achieve and sustain excellence in the effective and efficient development and implementation of IMO instruments by all Member States, and to build resilience to address future challenges facing the maritime industry".

The key objectives of the Capacity Development Strategy are:

• Objective 1: Improve effective implementation of IMO instruments

• Objective 2: Expand the suite of capacity development offerings

• Objective 3: Enhance international and regional cooperation and partnerships

• Objective 4: Improve effective management, coordination and delivery of capacity development and technical cooperation

• Objective 5: Secure and mobilize sustainable funding and resourcing

The Committee approved related Guidance for the Secretariat to consider when developing the implementation plan.

ITCP for 2026-2027 approved

The Committee approved the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) for the 2026-2027 biennium, with a revised thematic programme structure. The IMO Council was invited to endorse the decision.

The ITCP provides descriptions of the types of activities that will be delivered under each thematic programme, which will be determined for each region and country during the detailed planning phase, based on thorough analysis of the needs as informed by the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS).

The Committee approved the Technical Cooperation (TC) Fund allocation of $14.8 million (USD) for 2026-2027, 10% higher than the allocation of $13.4 million. Member States were urged to provide and enhance financial support to the ITCP through long-term sustainable arrangements.

The Committee agreed to align the thematic programmes to the UN SDGs, and to develop programme-level performance indicators for submission to a future session of the Committee.    

E-learning Implementation Plan in development

The Committee discussed the use of e-learning courses and "blended learning" methodologies as innovative, high-quality and cost-effective ways to develop capacity in IMO Member States. 

IMO e-learning has to date reached 13,000 participants from 188 countries. Completion rates are high with certification rates between 30 to 60%. The latest course on the IMO e-Learning platform: https://lms.imo.org/moodle310/, on reducing marine plastic litter from ships, was launched on the sidelines of TC 75.

The Committee requested the IMO Secretariat to continue developing the e-Learning Implementation Plan and the associated draft TC circular, with a view to submission at the next session, for consideration.

"Advancing maritime education and training for the global maritime sector" output agreed

The Committee agreed for its next session to include the agenda item "Advancing maritime education and training for the global maritime sector". This broadens the scope of the previous agenda item on IMO's global training institutes (the World Maritime University (WMU) and the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI)), to include IMO's digital training initiatives and extended partnership arrangements, ensuring a more inclusive and far-reaching approach to maritime education.

IMO regional presence update

The Committee noted updates on the IMO Regional Presence Scheme, which aims to ensure grassroots implementation of technical cooperation activities, facilitation of global programmes, and extension of IMO's reach.

The Regional Presence Office (RPO) Scheme now covers seven offices in Africa, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), East Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific States, supporting Member States in their efforts to implement IMO instruments by facilitating the identification of needs, delivering capacity development initiatives at the regional level, promoting information exchange, and advancing the empowerment of women in the maritime sector. Complementary to this Scheme, the network of Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) aims to promote energy-efficient technologies and operations in the maritime sector, reduce harmful emissions from ships, and support the transition to low-carbon shipping. They act as regional hubs for innovation, training, and fostering partnerships to advance sustainable maritime practices.

The Committee expressed appreciation to the RPO host governments – Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Fiji, Ghana, Kenya, the Philippines, and Trinidad and Tobago as well as the Pacific Community (SPC) – whose ongoing support has been instrumental to the Scheme's success

The RPO in Alexandria, Egypt for the Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region was inaugurated by the IMO Secretary-General in early 2025. The RPO in Suva, Fiji for the Pacific Islands is expected to be launched in August 2025.

The Committee noted the strategic importance and tangible results of the RPO Scheme, including the 20 new treaty ratifications in 2024, and reaffirmed its support for further strengthening of RPO operations. The Committee noted the future strategic approach for RPOs – especially regarding needs-based planning, enhanced performance tracking, and stronger gender mainstreaming; and invited proposals for a pilot "model RPO" in Africa to refine and standardize RPO operations and explore innovative capacity-building practices.

Member States and development partners were encouraged to: provide additional in-kind contributions (office space, staffing, equipment); secondment of Senior Professional Officers (SPOs) and Junior Professional Officers (JPOs); and engage with RPOs in resource mobilization efforts to ensure IMO's technical cooperation remains sustainable and effective;

Capacity-development for women in maritime

The Committee was updated on the latest activities delivered through IMO's Women in Maritime programme, as part of IMO's efforts to enhance gender equality in the maritime sector and advance Sustainable Development Goal 5.

The Committee noted activities delivered through IMO's Women in Maritime Programme over the past year, including supporting capacity-development for women in maritime, support for the IMO Women in Maritime Associations (WIMAs), and a range of specific activities implemented by the thematic long-term projects to advance SDG 5.

The International Day for Women in Maritime in 2025 was marked with a conference held under the theme "An Ocean of Opportunities for Women".

The IMO-WISTA Women in Maritime Survey 2024 was published in May. The data reveals ongoing gender disparity, underscoring the continuing need for targeted efforts to improve gender diversity in the sector.

The Committee agreed to include on its agenda an expanded output on "Capacity Development: Empowering all women and the promotion of diversity, equality, equity and inclusion in the maritime sector", with four sessions needed to complete the item (target completion year 2029).

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

A Working Group on 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development established during the session reviewed the SDG indicators, targets and milestones.

The Committee agreed with the working group's proposal that, in addition to the five SDGs that had been previously linked to the IMO strategic directions, IMO's technical cooperation work also strongly contributes to SDG 4 (Quality education). The other SDGs already linked are: SDG 5 (Gender equality); SDG 9  (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure);  SDG 13 (Climate action); SDG 14 (Ocean); and  SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

The Committee approved revisions made to the SMART indicators, targets and milestones linked to the identified SDGs.

Technical cooperation related to IMO Member State Audit Scheme 

The Committee noted the progress of the technical cooperation work related to the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS). The Scheme provides Member States with an objective assessment of how effectively they are applying relevant IMO treaties. As of the date of TC 75, 83% of IMO Member States and Associated Members, a total of 148, have been audited under the first audit cycle.

The Committee noted that since the establishment of this programme in 2006, a total of 1,866 individuals from 165 Member States and Associate Members had been trained through 88 regional, sub-regional and national workshops and training courses under the ITCP, and identified the need for a more targeted approach to technical assistance.

The Committee noted the analysis of audit outcomes under IMSAS (consolidated audit summary reports (CASRs). There are five main areas of recurrent findings and observations where further assistance was needed (namely implementation, enforcement, improvement, delegation of authority and initial actions/legislation).

The Committee noted views on the need for a more targeted and strategic approach to technical assistance, informed by the analysis of CASRs, to address remaining areas related to, inter alia, port State control, flag State implementation and pollution prevention, including through customized training as well as the strengthening of legal and institutional capacity-building.

The Committee agreed on the inclusion of additional areas for technical assistance identified through the analysis of CASRs in the ITCP for the 2026-2027 biennium; requested the IMO Secretariat to conduct a holistic review of the identified areas for additional technical assistance through audits and to determine the need for new technical assistance initiatives or impact programmes; requested the Secretariat to review the current mechanisms with a view to better integrate audit outcomes in the planning and programming of the ITCP; requested the Secretariat to ensure that the recurrent audit shortcomings were adequately addressed through the ITCP activities, programmes or projects; and requested the Secretariat to provide regular updates and impact assessments on ITCP activities programmes and projects undertaken to address recurring shortcomings.

Technical cooperation 2024 annual report 

The Committee noted the annual report of IMO's technical cooperation activities for the year 2024. These activities, which include the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) as well as thematic long-term projects, aim to support countries in implementing international maritime rules and standards, in accordance with IMO's global mandate.

The Committee noted that the delivery rate of ITCP implementation had reached 80%, with 181 activities delivered out of a total of 226 programmed activities, including 24 advisory and needs assessment missions and 79 training courses and workshops, resulting in the training of approximately 1,090 participants worldwide. Another 101 students had completed fellowships at the World Maritime University (WMU), the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) and other maritime training institutions and 655 officials had attended events aimed at developing and harmonizing regional strategies on maritime technical issues.

The percentage of women in fellowship activities was 56%, which represented a positive outcome in supporting training opportunities for women. However, the percentage of women attending training activities and high-level activities (28% and 38% respectively), showed that the inclusion of women in all maritime activities could still be improved. 

The total expenditure on technical cooperation activities in 2024 had reached $21.5 million of the $32.9 million budget, representing a financial delivery rate of 65%. This total budget figure included the funds for the thematic long-term projects, which were utilized over multiple years, as opposed to the ITCP, which were only utilized annually. Taking this into consideration, the delivery rate of the TC Fund was 78%. Expenditure on ITCP activities and thematic long-term projects came from 28 different sources of funding, with the TC Fund being the most significant at $5.9 million, representing 27% of the total funds spent in 2024. 

The Committee expressed its gratitude to all donors and partners for their contributions, both financial and in-kind, which were essential to the overall success of IMO's technical cooperation programme. 

Resource mobilization for technical cooperation

The Committee noted that a total of $16,524,419 was pledged since the last session, resulting in the overall projects portfolio total to approximately $193 million.

Following discussion in plenary, TC 75 acknowledged and supported the resource mobilization activities carried out under the Resource Mobilization Strategy; encouraged Member States to make further pledges and contributions to finance IMO's TC work; and encouraged Member States to actively participate in TC activities and share their experiences and knowledge regarding TC activities.

New pledges made since TC 74 included:   

• $1,600,000 from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to support Phase II of Green Voyage 2050;
• $1,350,000 from the Republic of Korea to support SMART-C LC/LP;
• $1,000,000 from Norad, of Norway to support Glo-litter Partnerships;
• $7,100,000 from Global Environment Facility (GEF) to support PRO-SEAS;
• $1,974,419 from Norway and China to support SENSREC-DW Pakistan;
• $175,091 from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to support Djibouti CoC;
• $3,500,00 from the Republic of Korea to support Gulf of Guinea Piracy project. 

Partnership arrangements

The Committee expressed its thanks to all donors and partners. In 2024, IMO concluded 46 new partnership arrangements in 2024, resulting in 149 current partnership arrangements as of 31 December 2024. The current arrangements consist of 43 Letters of agreement (LoAs), 90 MoUs/Framework agreements and 16 Implementing Partner agreements.

Financial contributions totaling approaching $20 million were received during 2024, including:

• $633,765 received under new financial arrangements;
• $1,464,491 received under existing financial arrangements;
• $16,230,134 received to support thematic long-term extrabudgetary programmes;
• $1,398,908 received for the Multi-Donor Trust Funds; and
• $329 received as voluntary donations of interest earnings under the Contributions Incentive Scheme (CIS).

Revised outputs agreed

The Committee approved updated and revised outputs on:

• Technical cooperation planning and reporting
  
• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
• Capacity-Development Strategy
• Review and implementation of the regional presence and coordination scheme
• Integration of IMSAS audit outcomes into technical cooperation activities and projects
• Capacity development: Empowering all women and the promotion of diversity, equality, equity and inclusion (DEEI) in the maritime sector
• Advancing maritime education and training for the global maritime sector
• Technical cooperation evaluation and reporting on the implementation of the recommendations.