Panama Re-elected to IMO Council for 2026-2027 Term

Panama was re-elected for the 2026-2027 biennium as a member of the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in Category A, which brings together the States with the greatest impact on world maritime transport. This was reported by the Panamanian government. The vote took place on Friday at the organization's headquarters in London, United Kingdom. "For more than two decades, Panama has worked constantly and decisively towards the IMO's objectives, aimed at ensuring the safety of navigation, the protection of the marine environment and the safeguarding of the lives of seafarers," the government statement says. "The renewal of that mandate in the Council recognizes the leading role of Panama within the global maritime sector and highlights the country's sustained commitment to the safety, efficiency and sustainability of international maritime trade," a communique from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama states. During the election to the IMO Council, to which the Central American country has belonged since 2003, Panama competed with China, the United States, Greece, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea and Russia, an official communiqué indicated. For the 2026-2027 period, the Council will be made up of 40 Member States, of which only 10, including Panama, will hold a seat in Category A, reserved for States with the largest interests in the provision of international maritime services. "With over a century of experience in ship registration, Panama's fleet exceeds 8,600 flagged vessels, and the country connects more than 140 maritime routes through the Canal, through which nearly 6% of global trade passes," the official letter states. Through its port terminals in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, "9.5 million TEUs are mobilized annually, with approximately 46% of its workforce being women, which reaffirms the commitment to gender equality," it adds. The Council supervises the work of the organization and adopts the key decisions that regulate international maritime transport. The Council is the IMO's supreme executive body.