IMO Assembly, 34th session (A 34) - Closing remarks

CLOSING REMARKS BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL TO THE THIRTY-FOURTH SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION

Delivered by IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez on 3 December 2025.

Madam President, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

We have reached the conclusion of the thirty-fourth session of the Assembly of the International Maritime Organization.

Over the past two weeks, you have demonstrated once again the strength of our collective purpose and the dedication that defines our global maritime community.

At the opening of this session, I shared some of my reflections from before my election.

And during the general statements last week, I was encouraged by your comments and the expressions of commitments and support to IMO and to multilateralism; the recognition of the negative effect that global security has in shipping; the incoming four accessions to the HNS Protocols, the calls from some on the need to ratify the Cape Town Agreement and the 2021 amendments to the IMO Convention; the reassurance to continue our work on the Net Zero Framework; our support to global measures like the entry into force of the BBNJ Agreements; and examples on how we are improving in gender and diversity such as one country’s introduction of maternity allowance to female seafarers.

Today, as we close this Assembly, I am encouraged by how far we have travelled. Everything placed before this Assembly has been achieved, adopted, or approved. You have turned ideas into action and transformed collective ambition into concrete outcomes.

Your decisions this week have strengthened the governance and strategic direction of IMO. 

You have completed the election of the Council in a spirit of engagement and cooperation, and I congratulate its newly elected Members of the Council. I particularly would like to thank you for extending the invitations to the staff of the Secretariat to attend the receptions. It allows them to even more engage in the Assembly and it gives you the opportunity as well to get to know them better, particularly those that normally work behind the scenes.

I am not going to thank you for making to attend 13 receptions on Tuesday night last week! And if that happens again, I will draw lots to decide the receptions I will be attending. Don’t worry, in following my stand on transparency, I will do the draw here in plenary in front of you!

You have adopted the revised Strategic Plan for the period 2024 to 2029, ensuring that the Organization is equipped with a clear vision for the coming years. You have approved the budget and work programme for the 2026-2027 biennium, enabling IMO to deliver its mandate with the necessary resources. 

The adoption of the new IMO Capacity Development Strategy marks a historic moment for this Organization, establishing a coherent and modern framework that will support all Member States, particularly those most in need. 

You have also approved the Framework and Procedures for the second cycle of the IMO Member State Audit Scheme, thereby reinforcing transparency, accountability and strengthened implementation. 

I am especially pleased that this Assembly has advanced multilingualism, including the important step of introducing Arabic as a working language. This decision reflects our commitment to inclusivity and equitable participation across the membership.

And you have adopted several important instruments and reforms. These include the Integrated IMO Identification Number Scheme, strengthening the consistency and transparency of our global regulatory framework; the consolidated text of the IMO Convention, bringing together decades of amendments into a single authoritative reference for the first time; and the amended Rules of Procedure, ensuring our deliberations remain modern, coherent and fit for purpose. 

At the heart of all these efforts remain the world’s seafarers. Their skill, resilience and dedication sustain global trade and the functioning of the world economy. The decisions taken by this Assembly will contribute to strengthening their safety, welfare and working conditions, and for that, I am grateful.

Allow me now to express my sincere appreciation to those who have guided the work of this Assembly. I offer my heartfelt gratitude to the President of the Assembly H.E. Mrs. Marine de Carné de Trécesson, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to IMO of France for her exemplary leadership throughout this session. 

I also wish to warmly thank the First Vice-President H.E. Mr. Hakim Hajoui Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Morocco and Second Vice-President H.E. Dr. Iruthisham Adam High Commissioner and Permanent Representative of Maldives for their steadfast support throughout this session.

• The Chair of Committee 1, H.E. Mr. Dwight C.R. Gardiner Ambassador and Permanent Representative to IMO of Antigua and Barbuda, and Chair of TCC. And his Vice-Chair’s Ms. Małgorzata Buszyńska, First Counsellor and Permanent Representative to IMO of Poland and Captain Jairo Eligio Orobio Sánchez, Permanent Representative to IMO of Colombia
• The Chair of Committee 2, Mr. Watchara Chiemanukulkit, Chief, International Affairs Division, Marine Department, Ministry of Transport of Thailand, and Chair, FAL. And his Vice- Chairs Mr. Erik Tvedt Special Adviser, Danish Maritime Authority of Denmark and Chair, SDC, and Ms. Devotha Edward Mandanda, Minister Counsellor, High Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania
• And finally, to the Chair of the Credentials Committee, Mr. Mansoor Bin Khalfan Bin Hudaib Al Wahibi of Oman.

Their stewardship ensured a smooth and productive session, and their dedication has helped the Assembly achieve its agenda.

At this juncture, I would like to acknowledge those delegates who have served as representatives in London and are going back to their respective countries:

• Admiral José Vieira de Cunha of Brazil;
• Captain Carlos Cerda of Chile;
• Admiral Jairo Orobio of Colombia;
• Ms. Malgorzata Buszynska of Poland;
• Mr. Changhyun Lim of South Korea; 
• Mr. Mehmet Hanifi Güler of Türkiye; and
• Mr. Konstantin Timokhin of the Russian Federation, who left recently.

As you are also aware, Ms. Heike Deggim; Director, MED and Mr. Hiroyuki Yamada, Director MSD, have recently retired from IMO. I would like to express our collective appreciation for their many years of dedicated service and their invaluable contributions to the work of the Organization.

I would like to offer special recognition to our French and Spanish translators for their exceptional additional service in providing the President and myself with accurate and high-quality translation throughout this session.

I would also like to express my appreciation to the Arabic, Chinese and Russian translation sections for translating all IMO draft resolutions in advance of the Assembly. Demonstrating further our efforts towards the enhancement of Multilingualism. 

I also want to take this opportunity to thank our interpreters for their exemplary interpretation services. Their skill, presence of mind and unwavering professionalism allow every delegate to follow and contribute to the deliberations of this Assembly in real time, ensuring the full inclusiveness and accessibility of our discussions.

Finally, I wish to highlight the extensive preparation carried out by all Secretariat staff, whose dedication and tireless efforts - often long before the Assembly convenes - ensure that our meetings run effectively and efficiently. Their commitment, both visible and behind the scenes, has been essential to the smooth functioning of this session.

When I opened this Assembly, I said that our collective energy would matter only if matched by decisive action. You have delivered that action. We close this session with renewed purpose, strengthened frameworks and a clear direction for the future - and a new logo. With your continued support, IMO is ready to face the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and to advance our shared vision for a united and better future for the maritime sector.

I thank you for your commitment, your cooperation and your trust. I wish you all a safe journey home and we approach the end of the year, I wish all of you a peaceful and enjoyable season of rest and reflection, and a very happy New Year. I look forward to welcoming you back and seeing you again next year as we continue our important work.

Thank you.

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