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Kenya got re-elected into the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council under Category C for the 2024-2025 biennium to represent Eastern Africa and the Great Lakes Region consisting of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, as well as the Horn of Africa Region and the island states of the Western Indian Ocean.
Kenya has had continuous re-election to the Council since 2001 under Category C. It was extended last week when 25 countries with special interests in maritime transport or navigation competed for the slot during the 33rdRegular Session of the IMO General Assembly at the IMO headquarters in London.
Kenya squared it out with 24 other states including the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, and Indonesia. But this position is critical given the number of countries expressing interest. IMO council members make decisions for the world’s maritime sector, and Kenya’s re-election is paramount as it ensures its representatives sit on the IMO governing board, which decides on the IMO strategy and budget, among other things.
Kenya reaffirms its commitment to support the IMO regional presence office in Nairobi, for the technical cooperation activities in the East and Southern Africa region, for the benefit of the member States. The country remains committed to partnering with IMO in solving local challenges as well as administrative needs which can be further strengthened to meet the ever-increasing technical cooperation needs of member states in the region.
Kenya welcomes the establishment of a regional presence office in Egypt. It looks forward to the office fulfilling its mandate in reaching out to the target Member States in that region.
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There is much need to be done as the world continues to face known and emerging challenges including digitalisation, decarbonisation, gender equality, automation, emerging threats on shipping along global shipping lanes, and the evolving role of the human element on the safety of life at sea. Kenya remains committed to the objectives of the Djibouti Code of Conduct – Jeddah Amendment, and the support of its member states in the development of national maritime security strategies, stated Kenya’s Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Minister CS Salim Mvurya.
