The seven candidates vying to lead the International Maritime Organization will lay out their plans on Tuesday before a secret ballot to decide who succeeds Kitack Lim for the next four years.
The election of a new secretary-general could mark a significant moment at the top of the organisation after 64 years of unbroken male leadership, with three women from Europe, Africa and the Caribbean seeking the votes of the 40-strong IMO council.
Whoever takes over will have a daunting in-tray.
The IMO has to make good on its pledge to make shipping net zero close to 2050 and to tackle safety and regulatory concerns over the emergence of the “shadow fleet” of tankers following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The new head will also have to grapple with how the industry’s decarbonisation drive will be paid for after the thorny issue of carbon pricing was left unresolved at meetings earlier this month and kicked down the road until 2025.
The candidate considered the one to beat is Arsenio Dominguez, 52, of Panama, a well-regarded director within the organisation; however, some delegates have reservations that he will favour the interests of flag states. Dominguez has rejected the claim and told TradeWinds that his 25-year record at the IMO demonstrates his transparency and impartiality.
Minna Kivimaki, Finland’s top transport official, is tipped to receive strong backing from European states but will need to extend her appeal more widely to win the vote. She believes that the once-antagonistic relationship between the European Union and IMO member nations has improved.
Turkey’s Suat Hayri Aka is seen as a dark horse candidate along with a late entrant to the race, China’s Xiaojie Zhang, another current IMO director.
Nancy Karigithu, Kenya’s most senior maritime administrator, was early out of the blocks with her campaign, while Dominica’s Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry has already secured a notable leadership first for women in maritime as head of the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden.
Moin Uddin Ahmed, from Bangladesh, a former head of the International Mobile Satellite Organization, which has responsibility for the global tracking of ships, rounds off the list of candidates.
The vote at the IMO’s London headquarters could take several rounds, with the lowest polling candidate dropping out until the winner secures a majority.
The winner will take over at the start of 2024 from South Korea’s Lim, who will have served two four-year terms.
