The Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has concluded its 137th session, forcefully reaffirming the critical importance of preserving global navigational rights and freedoms in accordance with international law.
Meeting from 6 to 10 July, the Council adopted a milestone resolution emphasizing that transit passage through international straits must not be threatened, impeded, or suspended. The Council explicitly reiterated that any traffic regulations enforced by coastal states in vital shipping lanes must strictly align with IMO regulations under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
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Strait of Hormuz: The Council condemned recent attacks on civilian commercial vessels and called for immediate de-escalation in the Middle East. It stressed that any regional arrangements must guarantee non-discriminatory, free transit through the 1968 IMO-adopted traffic separation scheme, entirely free of tolls or charges. The Secretary-General has been tasked with working alongside littoral states and industry leaders to restore unhindered navigation.
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Straits of Malacca and Singapore: Building on the successful burden-sharing “Cooperative Mechanism” managed by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, the Council invited member states and stakeholders to contribute financially or in-kind to its dedicated Aids to Navigation and Trust funds.
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Financial Health & Risk Management: The IMO reported a robust financial performance for 2025, with total revenue rising 2.97% to £77.96 million—backed by a 99.10% member state contribution collection rate, among the highest in the UN system. Additionally, the Council approved an updated Risk Management Policy featuring a strict new Strategic Fraud Risk Management Annex.
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Audit Scheme (IMSAS) Progress: Marking a major milestone, the first mandatory audit cycle of Member States has been successfully completed, totaling 168 audits since 2016. To champion transparency, the Council urged audited states to publicly release their final reports.
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New Consultative Statuses: Consultative status was granted to the International Electric Marine Association (IEMA), Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS), and SEA-LNG. The Ocean Foundation (TOF) was granted provisional status for up to two years.
The Council confirmed the upcoming 2026 World Maritime Day will be celebrated at IMO Headquarters on September 24 under the theme: “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.”
Future Parallel Events are scheduled for Busan, Republic of Korea (October 2026), the Philippines (2027), and Qatar, which was officially approved to host the 2028 event.
