The International Maritime Organization is searching for a new secretary general to take over from Kitack Lim, who is set to step down at the end of next year.
The recent IMO Council meeting agreed that hopeful candidates should put their name forward by the end of March 2023.
An election will be held in July, with the successful candidate due to take over at the start of 2024.
By then, Lim will have held the position for two terms, the maximum allowed, since he was elected in 2016.
The last two secretary generals have been from the Far East, which makes it likely the next leader will be found outside the region, IMO sources suggest. Lim is from South Korea and his predecessor was Japan’s Koji Sekimizu.
Governments usually nominate candidates from their IMO delegation or civil servants who have been seconded to the IMO secretariat.
So far, a woman has never held the post of secretary general at the IMO.
More inclusive
But the London-based organisation is attempting to become more inclusive.
The council has also agreed to establish a Gender Equality Award.
The award will recognise persons, irrespective of their gender and rank, who work in the maritime sector, including governments, industry, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and who have made a verifiable contribution to the empowerment of women in the maritime sector at the national, regional or international level.
The first award will be made on the International Day for Women in Maritime on 18 May 2024.
