Dr A S M Abdul Baten:

International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a central specialized organ of the UN, which has its head office in London since its establishment on 17 March 1958. IMO regulates global shipping operation standards, training standards of mariners and control of pollutions at sea from ocean going vessels through creating/amending relevant conventions time to time.
This year 33rd general assembly and election has been momentous because, last two consecutive elections had been lost by Bangladesh in council elections (Category C). Again this time the Delegation team which went from Bangladesh led by the Director General of Shipping was augmented by representative from the Private Sector in Shipping Industry, which is the Bangladesh Ocean Going Ship Owners’ Association. Such participation is regular by our neighbouring maritime country. The author himself has had the opportunity this year as an observer with the Bangladesh Delegation. Prior to the visit of the delegation to IMO, concerned minister and secretary of the stakeholder ministry had paid their visits at pre assembly/election conferences. which bore lot of significance for attaining objectives of the mission.

Bangladesh was in the IMO Council from 1981 to 1987 in category C. In 2001, Bangladesh was elected to IMO Council in category B and maintained the position until 2017. When UAE contested for a seat under category B, they got elected and Bangladesh lost that seat. Bangladesh faced contest from Belgium, in 2007, but got re-elected. It has been observed that the IMO headquarters do have hundreds of officials even from many smaller island countries, where as our representation is very less. In 2019 and in 2021 Bangladesh contested in IMO Council candidacy in Category C and lost election.
The Council is the executive organ of the IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. Between sessions of the Assembly, the Council performs all the functions of the Assembly, except that of making recommendations to Governments on maritime safety and pollution
prevention. The countries at Category A has 10 States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services, who can be called as the major players. Category (B) has 10 States with the largest interest in international seaborne trade. Finally, Category (C) has 20 states not elected under (a) or (b) above, which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world.
Bangladesh has been elected as a member of IMO Council for the term 20-2025 in elections held on 01 December 2023 at the IMO headquarters in London. Bangladesh secured 77% Votes (128 votes out of 166 Members States present and voting). Bangladesh has won the election in a highly competitive category C of the IMO Council membership. But this year some of the strong contestants like Belgium, South Africa and Thailand lost in the Category C membership election.
Discussion with many native and foreign experts present there reveal the following:
Competitors who engage well through personal, official and diplomatic channel and have proper agenda on bilateral/multilateral agreements, MOU and other training and educational activities are found to have better results.
Placement of permanent professional representatives in IMO at different levels give better opportunity to link with maritime states through different business forums and socialization.
Contribution at technical sessions through research papers have good results to represent own nations and ultimately support the IMO in building policy papers.
Those who represent the technical meetings need to be professionals from maritime community with a view to contributing.
Proposal from the Indian delegation to accelerate the implementation of Hong Kong Convention for ship recycling industry was a bit of concern for Bangladesh Delegation. This subject needs to be addressed smartly as soon as possible.

As learnt this time, the team of delegation as well as the officials in London have done tremendous hard work. They have worked through diplomatic channel under the leadership of the Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK and Permanent Representative to the IMO, Ms Saida Muna Tasmeem. Moreover, efforts made by the Special Envoy of the state minister of shipping prior the assembly to engage with different head of the delegation or country representatives at IMO Head Quarter. Some member states agreed to support Bangladesh with written notes. The head of government delegation, the Director General Shipping, Commodore Maksud Alam had several engagements along with his team members. This year one officer has been posted from the ministry of shipping as maritime counsellor to the High Commissioner of Bangladesh in London, who has been also instrumental in liaising with relevant persons and offices. In future the stake holder ministry of shipping has to give more emphasis to keep engaging with IMO so that the stake holders at home can really know what is going on at IMO level on a regular basis and inform all relevant corners in Bangladesh. Many of the smaller maritime nations are regularly sending right professionals either as staff in IMO HQ and also as members of delegations so that they all mean business. This success story would be faded, if we can’t not prepare ourselves more vigorously for the coming challenges. This would require definitely concrete planning with all stakeholders’ professionals from the government, maritime business community and educational institutions.

– Former VC BSMRMU and Secretary General BOGSOA