There was surprise and even shock when South Africa, together with several other member countries, was voted off the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council last week.
The 32nd Assembly of IMO is meeting in London at IMO Headquarters between 6 and 15 December 2021. Included in the programme was the election of 40 members to sit on the Council, the executive organ of the IMO.
These are separated into three groups – Category A consisting of 10 states with the largest interest in providing international shipping services; Category B made up of 10 states with the largest interest in international seaborne trade; and Category C being 20 States not elected under A or B, 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.
South Africa, who is a founding member of the IMO, was a member of the third category.
This leaves only Kenya as a representative of sub-Saharan Africa. Egypt and Morocco who are considered more Mediterranean nations than African are also members of Category C.
In Category A there are no changes. In Category B Argentina has been replaced by Sweden. In Category C South Africa and Peru failed to gain re-election, and Kuwait opted to leave voluntarily.
The new Council looks like this:
Category A: 10 States: China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States;
Category B: 10 States: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates
Category C: 20 States not elected under A or B above, whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world: Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and Vanuatu.
Election Results
The election results for category C were: Singapore (145), Egypt (135), Cyprus (133), Malta (133), Bahamas (129), Malaysia (128), Indonesia (127), Chile (118), Kenya (118), Saudi Arabia (117), Jamaica (116), Belgium (115), Morocco (115) and Turkey (115). Others are Mexico (112), the Philippines (112), Vanuatu (112), Qatar (111), Denmark (107), Thailand (107), South Africa (103), Nigeria (100), Peru (98), Bangladesh (88), Poland (79), Pakistan (71) and Columbia (64).
With the top 20 of these nations being elected, South Africa was placed in position 21 out of 27 and Nigeria one place below at 22nd.
As a result of this vote, Sub-Saharan Africa is now poorly represented, although this may be addressed if and when the IMO members agree to increasing the Council from 40 to 52 states.
“The expansion of the size of the council to 52 will support the attainment of a representative, balanced, diverse and efficient council that can support the interests of the whole membership and ensures the representation of all the major geographic areas of the world,” said IMO secretary general Kitack Lim.
But according to the world’s maritime regulatory body, until such proposal is approved and adopted by at least two thirds of the IMO Membership, or 117 Member States (based on the current membership of 174 Member States and two Associate Members), the status quo will remain.
The IMO Assembly meets every two years and is responsible for approving the work programme, voting the budget and determining the financial arrangements of the IMO, in addition to electing the 40-Member (or 52 if it is endorsed) Council.
Africa PORTS & SHIPS 14 December 2021