First Sea Lord's Sea Power Conference 2024 on “Future Navy: Maritime in the 2040s”
Speech by IMO Secretary-General at the First Sea Lord's Sea Power Conference 2024, on the theme “Future Navy: Maritime in the 2040s”
Delivered by IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez on 14 May, 2024
Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies, and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to be here today. I wish to extend my deep gratitude to the First Sea Lord, the Royal Navy and the Council of Geostrategy for hosting this event and inviting me to speak.
Today, we are here to contemplate the future of Shipping, but first, I would like to take a moment to discuss the past.
For centuries, our industry has been the primary means by which nations and people exchange not only goods, but also ideas, traditions, and cultures. The economically and culturally interconnected world we live in today owes much to the maritime industry and the dedicated seafarers who form its backbone.
Across generations of resiliency and innovation, our sector has been refined into a beacon of efficiency. Consequently, maritime trade dominates global commerce.
Despite the critical impact our industry has on people’s livelihoods, it is only recently that international events, like COVID-19 and geopolitical situation, have brought seafarers and maritime issues into the public spotlight.
I firmly believe that we possess the resources and skills to tackle the challenges that we are being presented with. More than that, it is past time that the seafarers of the world get the recognition they deserve for their critical role in transporting, from one part of the world to the other, everything from lifesaving food and medicine to computers and smart phones.
At the International Maritime Organization (IMO), we often say: No Seafarers, No shipping.
And in light of recent geopolitical events, I want to stress:
Without seafarers, there is no shipping, and without shipping there is no international trade.
It is both a moral imperative and strategic necessity for our industry that we unite to ensure the safety and security of those who serve at sea.
All Member States have to work together and coordinate with the industry to ensure the security of navigation while respecting the principles of international law on the freedom of navigation.
I would like to take this moment to condemn the attacks once again against merchant vessels and their crew in the Red Sea. These attacks are categorically unacceptable, and we need to work together to protect seafarers in the region.
International shipping must not be targeted and used as a mean of exerting pressure in geopolitical crises.
Tomorrow, I will open the Maritime Safety Committee meeting at IMO, where this and issues such as piracy, will be discussed at length. Through discussions with all Member States, we can identify appropriate solutions.
Supporting the coastal states of these regions in implementing the IMO's instruments is important. The IMO remains committed to providing capacity building assistance to Member State in the implementation of maritime security measures, such as through the IMO’s Global Maritime Security Integrated Technical Co-Operation Programme.
We are on a pathway to decarbonize the sector; enhance safety and security and be truly sustainable.
I wish to emphasize that the safety and well-being of seafarers remains of the utmost importance to us. The IMO, in coordination with our Member States, will continue to work diligently to ensure the safety of those who serve at sea.
I wish to reiterate my sincere appreciation to the organizers of this Conference, and for their unwavering commitment to safeguarding seafarers and upholding international law.
I look forward to our continued efforts to overcome existing, new, and future challenges and opportunities that will be presented to the shipping industry. Let us ensure the maritime industry’s continued stability and resilience for decades to come.
Thank you.
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