IMO Council Discusses Key Issues and Backs Second Term for Dominguez
The International Maritime Organization conducted its annual business meeting in London this week at a time when the industry faces key challenges ranging from the security of seafarers to the discord over plans to advance maritime decarbonization. It concluded the session, reporting that it is backing extending the mandate of the current Secretary-General of the IMO, Arsenio Dominguez, for a second four-year term.
Dominguez is the tenth Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, having been elected in July 2023 and beginning a four-year term on January 1, 2024. The Council reported that it will submit in late 2027 its decision to extend Dominguez’s mandate to the full IMO Assembly for approval. His second four-year term will run from January 1, 2028, to December 31, 2031.
Arsenio Dominguez, who is interviewed in the current issue of The Maritime Executive (September-October 2026), took the reins of the organization at a particularly challenging time. He was first appointed in 2004 as the alternate representative of Panama to the IMO, and starting in 2014, he was appointed Ambassador of Panama to the IMO. Dominguez, who is a naval architect, has more than 25 years of professional experience in the international maritime world. He served as the director of the Marine Environment Division, a position he assumed in 2017, as well as a member of the Senior Management Committee of the IMO.
Since assuming the role of Secretary-General in 2024, he has worked to build a consensus for the approach to decarbonization and champion the Net-Zero framework. In 2025 and earlier this year, efforts to adopt an agreement were delayed by challenges from several states, while Dominguez worked to maintain a coalition and develop the path forward. It is likely to hit another critical juncture in the coming weeks.
The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MPEC) convenes for its next session starting on November 30. The goal is to adopt an approach to decarbonization, alternative fuels, and a funding mechanism that can be presented the following week to a scheduled extraordinary session of the member states.
IMO Council met this week for its 138th session, discussing the issues of the maritime industry and seafarers, and backed Arsenio Dominguez for a second term as Secretary-General (IMO)
At the same time, the IMO has had to confront a dramatic rise in violence and targeting of seafarers in geopolitical conflicts around the globe. Dominguez has spoken out repeatedly, urging strong protection for seafarers. Earlier this year, he championed an effort with the Gulf states to repatriate seafarers caught in the Gulf when the war with Iran began and to bring ships trapped in the region out safely. It, however, quickly collapsed as Iran continued to attack shipping.
Speaking at today’s Council meeting, Dominguez highlighted reports of a new death, bringing the confirmed count to 25 seafarers killed since the start of the war in the Persian Gulf. The IMO reports it has confirmed at least 130 attacks against commercial shipping.
The Council again condemned the attacks and issued a new call for stronger protection of seafarers. It called for refraining from unlawful measures and reiterated the IMO’s calls that vital shipping lanes should remain open, safe, and secure.
There has also been a recent resurgence of piracy in the region around the Gulf of Aden. The IMO noted 17 instances of attempted and actual piracy since the start of the year in the region. However, globally, piracy has been on the decline.
The Council also discussed the plans of the IMO and approved the Secretary-General's funding proposal to complete the upgrade of the IMO’s Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS). It also approved plans to develop an e-Learning platform, with an initial amount of £2 million for the efforts.
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Dominguez has worked to strengthen the IMO’s role as the world’s maritime regulatory body. He looks to continue to build consensus to address the issues confronting seafarers and the maritime industry. The Council plans to conduct its meeting between July 19 and 23, 2027, at IMO Headquarters in London.
You can read The Maritime Executive’s full interview with Arsenio Dominguez online in the current issue of the magazine.
