Media Release
26 November 2007
Australia Maintains Role on World Maritime Body
Australia has again been elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) after 96 of the IMO’s 167 member countries supported its candidacy at the IMO Assembly meeting in London last Friday 23 November 2007.
Australia will continue to take an active role on the 40 member IMO governing body for another two years until the end of 2009. This will take its total period of service on the Council to 40 years since the IMO was established in 1959.
Mr Graham Peachey, AMSA Chief Executive Officer and head of Australia’s delegation, said the strong vote recognised the leadership Australia had shown across the Oceania region with its contribution to ensuring the IMO’s ship safety and environment protection initiatives were delivered. Mr Peachey also commended Australian maritime agencies and industry for their willingness and cooperative approach to meeting Australia’s international obligations to the IMO.
Mr Peachey congratulated New Zealand on their election to the Council and acknowledged the continuing strength their membership would bring to the Oceania region of the IMO.
Members of the newly elected Council include:
- China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, and United States representing the largest interests in providing international shipping services;
- Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden representing the largest interests in international seaborne trade; and,
- Australia, Bahamas, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malta, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, the Philippines, , Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey representing special interests in maritime transport or navigation across all major geographic areas of the world.
The IMO is the specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for safety of international shipping and prevention of marine pollution from ships. Australia is party to almost all of the IMO’s international conventions. The Council is the executive body of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. Between sessions of the Assembly the Council performs all the functions of the Assembly, except that of making recommendations to Governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.
More information about the composition of the new IMO Council for the 2008-2009 biennium is available at: www.imo.org
Media inquiries: Tracey Jiggins 0418 164 901