The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council is conducting its 122nd session this week. Stakeholders from the shipping industry have been gathered to discuss key issues that are on the spotlight, such as IMO’s strategy and planning, reform and management and latest technical, environmental, safety and smart shipping issues. IMO’s Council is taking place from Monday 15 to Friday 19, July 2019.
Those participating in this year’s session are calling for transparency, demanding from IMO to have live-streamed meetings and open reporting, so that the whole shipping industry is fully informed on the matters discussed during each session. Namely, Australia, Norway and South Korea, are among those countries which have openly demanded such reform, considering that transparency plays a crucial role.
Generally, the Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. The Council is made up of 40 Member States, elected by the Assembly for two-year terms.
Concluding, IMO’s Council has the responsibility of monitoring the progress and analysing, where necessary, any mechanisms required to review and update progress in the industry.
During last year’s IMO session, the IMO Council agreed to renew Kitack Lim’s position on a second four-year term as IMO’s Secretary General, beginning from 1 January 2020.
Cyprus is also participating in the Council’s opening, to articulate its position on the agenda items.
