IMO calls for tangible action after UN Ocean Conference

The Secretary-General of the IMO, Arsenio Dominguez, has welcomed the important commitments made at the United Nations Ocean Conference last week (9-13 June) in Nice, France, while urging countries to deliver on these promises as soon as possible.

Mr. Dominguez said: “Commitments are a necessary first step, but they are not the finish line. We must now move beyond the statements and turn those words into real, measurable action. That will take all stakeholders coming together, sharing information, and aligning actions to bridge differences and drive progress.”

Mr. Dominguez led an IMO delegation to Nice to highlight the work being done in the maritime sector to combat marine plastic pollution, protect biodiversity from invasive aquatic species introduced by ships, tackle underwater-radiated noise and decarbonise the maritime sector.

“IMO has a strong, decades-long history of driving regulatory action to protect the marine environment from harmful impacts of shipping, backed by targeted technical support to Member States. We can play a central role in moving this agenda forward,” he emphasised.