Interview: Arsenio Dominguez, IMO Secretary-General

At WISTA's annual meeting in Barcelona, TME sat down for a chat with IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez about his priorities - including the unsung work of getting its existing instruments (think SOLAS or STCW) put to their full intended use. IMO relies upon individual governments to turn those rules into actions, and has no enforcement powers of its own; but the agency is now putting more emphasis on its technical assistance program, designed to help national maritime administrators do the job well. The emphasis is on providing support to developing nations, where IMO’s Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division coordinates technical assistance programs that focus on human resources development and institutional capacity-building. This includes training for port state control officers and the staff of national shipping registries - some of whom oversee the world's fastest-growing flags.

The conversation also covered the contentious MEPC meeting on the Net Zero Framework, which ended in a one-year deferment. This was a setback for decarbonization advocates, but "IMO is more than what happened last week," Dominguez says - and the organization's broader program carries on.

Can you tell us about your background and your career at IMO?

Well, I grew up seeing all those huge ships floating in front of the bay in Panama City and going through the Panama Canal, and I decided to study naval architecture. I had the opportunity to join the Panama Maritime Authority, and I spent nearly 20 years representing Panama to IMO in London. Then I joined IMO as member of the Secretariat staff in 2017, first as Chief of Staff, then as Director of Administration during the Covid pandemic. That was quite a challenge. And then during the last two years of the previous Secretary General, I was director of the marine environment division, working on the finalization of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy. And last year I had the blessing of gaining the support and the trust of the member states to be elected as the 10th Secretary General of IMO.

What are your top priorities as Secretary General?

I've set four specific objectives. The first one is to work directly with the member states in improving the regulatory process and the regulatory system. And of course, this is not only about studying our own industry, but also other sectors, because shipping faces the same challenges - decarbonization, automation, the human element. We are not isolated in that respect.

The second one is to enhance the way that we provide technical cooperation and capacity building, particularly to Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries, being more targeted to carry out assessments and analysis so we don't repeat the same activities. I'm very much result-oriented, so we are now introducing key performance indicators in all our activities.

The third one was the visibility of the organization. I've always felt that shipping is very inward-looking at times, but the green agenda has put IMO on the map. We need to reach out to the general public and help them to understand shipping more, including the younger generation. I don't believe in what some people call bad news. For me, it is a way for us to learn: are we explaining our message correctly? Are we actually demonstrating the work that we're doing, or is there more that we need to do?

And the last one is the people - being more targeted into how we can enhance the health and wellbeing of seafarers; within IMO, looking at how to be more nimble as an organization; and as an industry, to continue to build on our transparency, diversity and inclusivity - areas where we have been progressing, but where we also acknowledge that there is more to do.

Since we are at WISTA's annual meeting, do you think you could tell us about the action IMO is taking on diversity and inclusion?

We have several actions at IMO that allow us not only to demonstrate our support, but to learn and improve. We have a program for women in maritime, and some of our technical cooperation activities are exclusively directed to female audiences. All our technical activities also have gender key performance indicators.

We have adopted a revised gender and diversity strategy for the organization that looks into how we provide support, such as mentorships, improvements to our recruitment processes, and flexible working arrangements. That allows us as an organization to improve our numbers, and, of course, demonstrate that we're fighting the cause with actions. I presented that strategy to the member states in July for them not only to take notes, but to take actions of their own.

I have also introduced the policy that we don't take part in panels where there's no participation of women, the so-called "Manels." That is banned for all the IMO Secretariat, and this decision has a lot of traction and support in the shipping sector.

When it comes to WISTA, we work with them very closely. They already have observer status at IMO, and of course, we have partnered with them for two surveys on the engagement and participation of women in maritime. I'm committed to participating in WISTA's international events, as this provides visibility and support, and I'm serious about the backing that I'm giving to the gender equality agenda.

Can you tell us about why IMO is putting a new emphasis on instrument implementation?

It's no secret that one of my main objectives in coming to IMO as Secretary General was to enhance the way that we provide technical cooperation and capacity building to be more targeted on the results. The success of the organization is sometimes not that visible when it comes to the implementation of the IMO instruments. The best way for us to learn is to know how effective our mandatory instruments are. That's why we're focusing for the next two years on highlighting that IMO is not just about creating regulations, but about implementing them and learning from them.

Would IMO benefit from more tools, resources or staff for helping member states with technical assistance? Do you have the tools that you need?

I have the necessary tools for the work plan that we have right now, and I have very good support from the member states. One of the first things that I did from the beginning was to look into all the efficiencies in the organization. Whenever I have a vacancy, as an example, I review where resources are most needed. Would I like to have a bigger team and more staff? Absolutely. But I also recognize the challenges that everybody is facing right now when it comes to finances and economic situations. This is why I respect the member states in asking me to look into efficiencies and not to bring big increases in the budget.

But it is very clear to all parties that any additional work will require more resources, and the member states are engaged and very responsive to that.

How do you measure success for technical assistance to member states?

In part we're relying on other actors, particularly the port state control officers and the member states themselves, for the actions that they take to evaluate implementation through the inspection regime.

The mandatory flag state audit scheme has also provided us information on how we can support the member states to enhance the appropriate implementation of the IMO instruments. So now we are building a very good database of information that would allow us to immediately measure that success, to carry on the regulatory process and enhance it.

The real measure is how much we reduce shipping accidents, which we did in 2024 relative to the last 10 years - 27 total losses, though that's still too many for me. We also need to reduce seafarer criminalization, as well as abandonment. All those outcomes will actually demonstrate success, but we need to start with the appropriate implementation of the instruments in order to hit those marks.

Now, the question on everyone’s minds: would you like to tell us a bit about the debate at the last MEPC meeting?

It became clear that geopolitics were taking over the process at IMO. What we experienced was not a normal IMO meeting. There were concerns that were raised during the discussions, valid concerns that we have heard before. Beyond those concerns, again, geopolitics became very clear. That's the reason why, by the end of the week, we were not getting an agreement.

Geopolitics is not only affecting IMO. This is something that is happening to everyone right now. We need to adapt, we need to learn from it. And you know, there's still some work that I have to do, and the rest of the membership, in listening to all the comments we heard at the meeting. There are valid concerns about how this is going to be implemented, how the funds will be governed, how it's going to be managed, the distribution of the revenues - and we are working on that. The committee continues to review all the guidelines needed for the framework to be effective, and we now have a year to refine those rules.

How do you respond to critics of the Net Zero Framework - to those who say that it should not be adopted?

Everybody has the right to an opinion. And you know, just as I said with the member states, I am not in the role and it's not my style to criticize opinions. I learned from all those comments, and that helps us to be better.

It's not only about talking within the maritime sector. It's clear that we need to speak to other sectors and other entities. When we talk about decarbonization, we are also talking about the fact that you will have new technologies coming up, new resources that will be tapped, new industries with new jobs. Some of the biggest companies in countries like the United States are expanding their portfolios in alternative fuels, like ammonia and methanol. Ships will be transporting all those fuels as well, and as IMO, we are here to support a shipping industry that benefits everyone.

If IMO doesn't carry the Net Zero Framework forward, we could end up with a very fragmented sector, and there will be different actions at the national and regional levels. That would go against the needs of a global industry. We need global measures, or the revenues will not be invested in supporting shipping's green transition - they will go somewhere else.

Is there anything else you'd like our readers to know?

When you think about shipping, don't think of it only when you see the negative headlines in the media. Think about shipping in the context of what happened during the Covid pandemic, when we were the only mode of transport that continued to operate in order to deliver essential goods for everyone around the world - at great cost to the seafarers.

When you think of shipping, think of the seafarers who are risking their lives when they sail in areas like the Red Sea and the Black Sea. They are doing this for the benefit of everybody sitting in an office, sitting at home, enjoying all the good things that technological development and civilization create for us. Embrace the positive aspects of shipping that people don't always see. - TME