The IMO Council endorsed a term from 1 January 2028, through 31 December 2031. Final approval remains with the agency’s Assembly, which is expected to consider the decision in late 2027.
The International Maritime Organization’s Council endorsed a second term for Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez on 4 November 2026, during its 138th session in London. The decision gives him Council backing to continue leading the UN maritime agency, but requires approval from the IMO Assembly.
The appointment process separates Council election from Assembly approval. The Council elected Dominguez for his first term at its 129th session in July 2023; his biography dates the election to 18 July. The IMO says the Assembly subsequently approved that election at its 33rd session in December 2023. The Assembly is expected to consider the second-term decision in late 2027; its approval would confirm his continued tenure.
Dominguez, a Panamanian naval architect and longtime maritime diplomat, became the IMO’s tenth secretary-general on 1 January 2024, succeeding Kitack Lim. He previously worked as a port engineer and drydock assistant manager, represented Panama at the IMO from 2004 to 2017, and later directed the agency’s Marine Environment Division.
Dominguez thanked Council members and the wider membership for their continued trust and support. He pledged to follow their guidance and contribute to collective efforts supporting global shipping and seafarers.
The endorsement comes with the agency’s proposed Net-Zero Framework still awaiting adoption. The package combines global fuel standards with greenhouse-gas emissions pricing for international shipping. It received initial approval in April 2025, but delegates failed to adopt it in October 2025 and adjourned the extraordinary Marine Environment Protection Committee session for a year, gCaptain said
The United States and several oil-producing countries opposed the proposal, particularly emissions pricing. Supporters argued that global rules were needed to reduce shipping emissions and avoid competing regional requirements.
Security is another immediate concern. Citing IMO figures, gCaptain said 129 maritime incidents had been confirmed in the Strait of Hormuz and wider Middle East since the Iran war began in February 2026, with 24 seafarers killed as of 5 November 2026. The tally included vessels damaged, sunk or detained. Opening the Council meeting, Dominguez condemned threats to commercial shipping in the Middle East, Red Sea and Black Sea.
Negotiators are scheduled to reconvene in November 2026 ahead of the Marine Environment Protection Committee’s 85th session on 30 November–3 December, gCaptain said. A special session to consider adopting the framework is provisionally scheduled for 4 December 2026.
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