Russia has lost a seat on a key body at the International Maritime Organization that it has held since 1960, in a backlash over its invasion of Ukraine.
It came last in a secret ballot contested between 11 nations for 10 seats on offer to major shipping nations for the IMO’s executive body, the council, for the next two years.
The loss followed a direct appeal on Monday to IMO delegates by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who claimed that Russia had caused more harm to the freedom of navigation than any other country in recent decades.
Zelenskyy told delegates via video link that Russia should not have a place on a governing body at the IMO.
“I urge you to prove ... that no destroyer of freedom of navigation will go unpunished,” he said.
Liberia, one of the world’s largest flag states, will take over from Russia on the 40-seat council.
Russia stood in the election despite warnings that 30 to 40 nations could snub its bid.
It had complained that the technical work at the IMO was being undermined by a “minor group of beneficiaries” for their own political ends.
Early on Friday, it continued to make its case and said it “always played and continues to play a balancing and constructive role” on the council.
The first round of votes confirmed Liberia and current members China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, South Korea, the UK and the US on the council with the “largest interest in providing international shipping services”.
Two further votes will decide the remaining 30 places for countries that qualify by having the most significant interests in seaborne trade or special maritime interests, or to ensure proper global representation.
Russia is not standing in either of those two pools.
Russia is one of just nine countries with an unbroken membership of the council since 1960, along with India, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, the UK and the US.
The council supervises the work of the IMO and monitors its work programme and budget. It also elects the secretary general, although elections will not be held during this cycle.
The newly elected council will start work in January at the same time as the new IMO secretary general, Arsenio Dominguez of Panama.
He was confirmed for his four-year term by a gathering of the 175 member states on Thursday.
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