The Republic of Panama through the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has presented the candidature of Arsenio Dominguez for Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Panama joined the IMO on December 31, 1958, and became a member of the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1979. With the entry into force in 2002 of the 1993 amendments to the Constitutive Agreement of the Organization, Panama has been re- elected member of category A of the Council ever since. With more than 105 years, the Panama Ship Registry is backed by the State – thus guaranteeing the safety of its fleet, offering official assistance to clients in terms of diplomatic and judicial support which greatly differentiates it from other registries.

The register has focused on quality rather than quantity and is on the Whitelists of the Paris MoU and Tokyo MoU and member of the Vina del Mar MoU, the Caribbean MoU, and Mediterranean MoU. In November 2021, during the COP26 meeting, Panama signed the Declaration of Zero Emissions in the Maritime Industry by 2050 and is one of the declared carbon neutral countries in the world. And it has also supported the creation of the Research and Development Fund to be managed by the International Maritime Research and Development Board (IMRB) and supervised by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), for the acceleration of the development of new technologies in maritime transport, necessary for the decarbonization of the sector. Panama has implemented and is a signatory of all the IMO international conventions and conventions published in recent years and participates regularly in its working committees.

Mr Dominguez, is the first Panamanian and Latin American candidate for this position. A naval architect, he has been an alternate representative of Panama at the IMO from 2004 to 2014 when he was designated Panama’s Ambassador to the IMO and president of the MEPC until 2017 when he joined the International Maritime Organization as the Chief of Staff, later Administrative Division Director and to date Marine Environment Director. Arsenio Dominguez’ campaign “Taking the lead, for a united and better future” aims at serving IMO “by putting people and the planet first.” His dedication to the Organization is well known and he sees it as an “opportunity to capitalize” for the greater good for all and “will launch a new era for IMO, where we are seen as a source of ingenuity, the creators of productive resolutions and as a rewarding workplace where the best talent thrives.” “I believe that the IMO has incredible potential that extends beyond shipping, to the society.

That’s why I am committed to fulfilling my mission and vision.” Panama is proud to support Mr Dominguez’s mission and vision, that “we share as a country,” said Noriel Arauz, Panama Maritime Authority Administrator and Minister of Maritime Affairs. “We have and will always stand by the IMO and its work in benefit of shipping, the welfare of seafarers and the environment.”

“AS the world’s largest Ship Registry for the past 29 years, we are committed to clean ecosystems and demonstrate our pledge to the environment by promoting since 2008 the construction of ‘Eco Friendly’ ships, with its special Eco Ship and New Construction incentives, as well as seeking to encourage the support and investment of companies, so that the economic impact of the improvement of ships on environmental issues is less and shared among the actors present in the industry,” said Panama’s Minister of Maritime Affairs. “Mr Dominguez’ candidature honors our country, our maritime vocation and dedication to the shipping industry for more than a century.”

Agencies

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