Council, 129th session - closing remarks
CLOSING REMARKS C 129
SECRETARY-GENERAL KITACK LIM
Ministers, excellencies, distinguished delegates, and observers,
We have reached the conclusion of the 129th session of the Council, and I am certain that you will all agree that this has been an incredibly productive week for each one of you.
First and foremost, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for your significant contributions, which have been instrumental in achieving a successful outcome for this session.
Distinguished delegates,
Allow me to highlight some of the remarkable achievements made during this session:
Most importantly you elected Mr. Arsenio Dominguez as the next Secretary-General of IMO. I extend my warmest congratulations and wish him every success in the leadership of this great Organization.
I hope to count on your support in ensuring the smooth transition of leadership.
At the same time, I would like to reiterate our appreciation to all candidates for offering themselves to serve the Organization and also thank their governments for putting forward the nomination of candidates of such high calibre.
The Working Group on the Strategic Plan engaged in fruitful discussions and reached consensus on major parts of the plan, providing valuable enhancements to what is shaping up to be a forward-looking and ambitious strategy for our Organization.
The Working Group on Council reform continued to make progress, as a result, we have collectively agreed to recommend to the Assembly to live stream the 33rd session of the Assembly.
I want to extend my deepest appreciation to all of you for approving the outline of the regular budget for the 2024-2025 biennium. Despite the challenges we face, the Secretariat stands ready to deliver on the ever-expanding work programme, thanks to your unwavering support.
You also considered the utilization of hybrid capabilities and agreed to extend the trial period until C 132 to enable the Secretariat to implement the enhancements you have endorsed.
Moreover, your commitment to multilingualism has been reinforced through your agreement on an Assembly resolution, which will be adopted at A 33.
I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to the hardworking staff of the Secretariat in particular my Office, the Administrative Division ably led by Mrs. Azara Prempeh for the coordination of the meeting and the Legal and External Relations Division, whose dedication and efforts have been instrumental in making this meeting a resounding success.
A special appreciation goes to the Conference Division, particularly the translators and interpreters.
My heartfelt thanks also go to the Cafeteria team, under the leadership of Manager Frances and Head Chef Kamal, for ensuring that we were well nourished during our busy deliberations.
I want to express my gratitude to the Chair of the Council, Mr. Victor Jimenez Fernandez of Spain, for his exemplary leadership, which allowed us to navigate through a packed agenda with great efficiency.
My appreciation also extends to the Vice-Chair, Ms. Amane Fethallah of Morocco, for her valuable support and successful chairing of the Working Group on Council Reform, as well as to Mr. Darrick Leow of Singapore for skilfully leading the Working Group on the Strategic Plan.
Before we conclude, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the delegates leaving London after this Council session, especially:
Commander Francisco Ayala of Ecuador; and
Ambassador Geneviève van Rossum of France;
Ms. Svenja Friedrich of Germany;
Mr. Richard Mason from the European Commission.
Your contributions and presence will be greatly missed by many friends and colleagues at IMO. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
And of course, we cannot close this session without paying a special tribute to Mr. Frederick Kenney, Director of Legal Affairs and External Relations Division, for whom this is his last meeting!
Fred,
On behalf of the IMO staff and Member States, I want to express our deepest thanks and appreciation for your outstanding contributions during your tenure at IMO.
As Director of the Legal Affairs and External Relations Division, you have shown exceptional leadership and dedication. Your coordination of the Legal Committee as its Secretary has been instrumental in strengthening the Committee's agenda.
I must also mention your outstanding efforts and collaboration during your secondment to the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul and during the COVID-19 pandemic, your leadership of the Seafarer Action Crisis Team (SCAT), in cooperation with relevant UN agencies, to support seafarers and your team's work in developing guidelines for IMO bodies to function remotely during the pandemic was crucial.
You should be justifiably proud of your achievements and the significant contribution you have made to the success of IMO.
We wish you all the best for this new phase of your life with your loved ones.
And I believe that the entire Council and Secretariat join me in giving you a big round of applause for your remarkable achievements!
Distinguished delegates,
It now remains only to thank you for your valuable comments and contributions to this Council session, as well as your exceptional level of cooperation, collaboration, and overwhelming support.
I wish you all a pleasant and restful weekend.
Thank you.