Council, 133rd session (C 133) - Closing remarks
ADDRESS OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AT THE CLOSING OF THE 133RD SESSION OF THE COUNCIL, 18 to 22 November 2024
Delivered by IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez on 22 November 2024
Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates,
As we bring this session of the Council to a close, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support you have shown throughout, from your insightful contributions on various agenda items to the forthcoming revision of the rules that govern our work.
Your trust and confidence mean a great deal to me, and for my part, I restate my commitment to continue serving you with the same determination and dedication to achieve our shared goals.
Let me reaffirm that I will continue to advocate for the safety and well-being of seafarers. In particular, addressing the critical issues of attacks against shipping in the Red Sea, detention or criminalization of seafarers, I will not relent in championing the protection of the industry’s most valuable resource.
I remain fully committed to fostering open and meaningful dialogue with each of you, even when the discussions are complex or challenging. Together, it is our responsibility to prioritize the broader interests of the maritime community.
Thank you for your dedication to these shared priorities.
This meeting has provided me with a valuable platform to carefully listen to your perspectives. I deeply appreciate your thoughtful and constructive comments, particularly regarding multilingualism, enhancing GISIS, and the way forward for IMSAS.
I also want to commend your pivotal decision to embrace transparency and modernization within IMO by approving amendments to the Rules of Procedure. These changes, enabling livestreaming and the use of hybrid capabilities to complement our in-person meetings, mark a transformative step forward.
This session of the Council made history as the first to be livestreamed publicly, and in all six official languages. While we encountered some technical challenges, which are already being addressed, I firmly believe this advancement enhances our accessibility and openness.
I am equally grateful for your endorsement of my proposals to establish Guidelines for the International Maritime Prize and to adopt the IMO Gift Acceptance Policy. These measures are essential strides toward streamlining our processes and reinforcing transparency across our work.
Thank you all for your tremendous support as we continue to advance these important initiatives together.
As always, this is also the moment to express our gratitude to those delegates and experts who are leaving and concluding their tenure with us and for whom this marks the final session of the Council.
The following representatives will leave after Council:
- Mr. Jaegeon Kim, Maritime Attaché, Alternate Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the IMO;
- H.E. Ms. Saida Muna Tasneem, High Commissioner, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the IMO and 1st Vice-President of the Assembly; and
- Mr. Andreas Nordseth, Director General of the Danish Maritime Authority, after more than 15 years in the role.
We extend our heartfelt wishes for success in all future endeavours to those moving forward.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Chair, Mr. Victor Jimenez Fernandez of Spain, whose outstanding leadership steered this session safely to port, and to a successful conclusion.
Equally, my sincere thanks go to the Vice-Chair, Ms. Amane Fethallah of Morocco, for her support throughout this session of the Council.
A special note of appreciation goes to Ms. Marina Angsell, who skilfully chaired the Working Group on the Rules of Procedure, ensuring its productive outcome.
The work of the Council is distinct from other meetings, requiring coordination across all Divisions in the Secretariat – that I can assure you is no easy task. I am immensely grateful to the dedicated efforts of my Office and the Administrative Division for leading the preparation and coordination of this meeting. My appreciation also extends to the Legal Affairs and External Relations Division for managing key agenda items, and to the technical divisions for their support.
Let us not forget the remarkable contribution of the Conference Division, to the success of this meeting. Finally, my thanks go to the interpreters, whose expertise once again ensured seamless communication and understanding throughout our discussions.
As we conclude, I wish each of you a peaceful and well-deserved weekend. May your journeys home be safe and smooth, and may you return refreshed and ready for the opportunities ahead.
Thank you.
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