India re-elected to International Maritime Organisation Council with highest tally

London: India was re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council with the highest tally at elections held at its assembly here on Friday for the 2024-25 biennium.

India's re-election falls under the Category of 10 states with 'the largest interest in international seaborne trade', alongside Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, said the vote reflects the government’s commitment to enhancing India's diverse contributions to global maritime operations.

“We are delighted and humbled by the support of the international community at the International Maritime Organisation for India to continue to serve the global maritime domain,” said Doraiswami, soon after the election.

“Our re-election today in London, with the highest tally in the election, to the IMO Council in Category B, sustained a proud and unbroken record of India's continuous service at IMO. It fully reflected appreciation of the high priority our government has attached, especially in recent years, to the rapid expansion and development of our domestic shipping sector and to enhancing India's diverse contributions to global maritime operations,” he added.

The IMO is the premier body that oversees the maritime sector, which in turn underpins international trade, transport and all maritime activities.

The council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the assembly, for supervising the work of the organisation.

Between sessions of the assembly, the council performs the functions of the assembly, except that of making recommendations to governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.

The 33rd Assembly of IMO is meeting at the IMO Headquarters in London between November 27 and December 6.

All 175 member states and three associate members are entitled to attend the assembly, which is the IMO's highest governing body.

The intergovernmental organisations with which agreements of cooperation have been concluded and international non-governmental organisations in consultative status with IMO are also invited to attend.

The assembly normally meets once every two years in a regular session. It is responsible for approving the work programme, voting the budget and determining the financial arrangements of the organisation.

It also elects the organisation's 40-member council at these meetings for the next two-year period.