Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 108) - Closing remarks

ADDRESS OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AT THE CLOSING OF THE 108TH SESSION OF THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE, 15-24 May 2024

Delivered by IMO Secretary-General, Mr. Arsenio Dominguez on 24 May 2024

Madam Chair, distinguished delegates,

We have come to the end of another very busy session of the Maritime Safety Committee, which has once again achieved many important accomplishments.

As I was not able to be here with you on Monday - allow me to begin by saying that it is with profound sadness that I learnt of the passing of His Excellency, Mr. Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, following the helicopter crash on 19 May 2024, regrettably, which also resulted in the loss of lives of other officials, including the Foreign Minister, His Excellency Mr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian.   

On behalf of the entire membership of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Secretariat and myself, I wish to express our heartfelt condolences to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and to the families of the President and the victims of this tragic incident. Thank you Chair for having included that in the final report of the Committee.

Coming back to the meeting itself, I will not list all your results but regarding the situation in the Red Sea, the Committee adopted an MSC resolution on the security situation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden resulting from Houthi attacks on commercial ships and seafarers.

IMO Member States are unequivocal in their condemnation of these reckless attacks. The maritime industry sustains the supply chains that are the lifeline of nations and populations around the world – innocent seafarers and commercial ships trading essential supplies should be free to navigate, unhindered by geopolitical tensions.

Once again I would like to call on all governments and relevant organizations, and indeed all of you here present, to provide maximum assistance to seafarers affected, and to spare no effort in finding a resolution to this crisis.

With regards to MASS ships,  further progress has been made on the draft MASS Code. Despite necessary adjustments to the Road Map with more work coming your way in the intersessional period, I am grateful for the Committee's diligent efforts to ensure a high-quality Code.

You have progressed significantly with the consideration of new technologies and alternative fuels for the with the aim of developing a safety regulatory framework to support the 2023 IMO GHG strategy. I am please note that further progress is expected on this important matter at the next session.

My sincere appreciation goes to your Chair, Mrs. Mayte Medina of the United States – “Doña Mayte”. You once again demonstrated outstanding decision-making skills and excellent leadership in steering the affairs of the Committee to great success as always. I very much enjoying being alongside you.

I would also like to thank your Vice-Chair, Mr. Theofilos Mozas of Greece, for his support throughout this session, in particular chairing the GHG Safety Working Group. 

My thanks also go to the Chairs of the working and drafting groups, Mr. Tunfors of Sweden, Mr. Lancaster of New Zealand, Mr. Tsuchiya of Liberia, and Mr. September of South Africa, thank you all for your efficiency work and the successful outcomes for their respective groups. 

As always, this is also an opportune moment to express our gratitude to those delegates and experts who are leaving and concluding their tenure with us and for whom this meeting marks the final session of the Committee. We wish them all the best for their future endeavours.

In this case, I would like to refer in particular to the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom, Mrs Katy Ware. After 13 years of contributing actively to the outcomes and the work of the Organization, I would like to thank you for all your support as representative of the Headquarter government. I wish you all the very best in the future and I am sure you will always remain part of the IMO family.

I am grateful for the efforts of the Maritime Safety Division, who led the preparations for this meeting, for the dedication of all the staff of the Secretariat, who work tirelessly to provide the required professional support to meet your expectations. I also take this opportunity to express my thanks to the interpreters, who once again have facilitated our seamless communication during our meeting.

Chair, delegates, I wish you all a restful weekend, and a safe journey to your destinations.

Thank you. 

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