Liberia Goes To IMO Assembly Tomorrow, Set To Retain Its Seat On Council
The Liberia Permanent Mission in London has received and welcomed Commissioner Neto Zarzar Lighe and delegation including officials from the Liberia Foreign Ministry who are in London to attend and participate in the heavy-stakes International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly which kicks off tomorrow 24 November 2025.
Following a yearlong of intensive campaign efforts to retain its seat at the prestigious Category (A) level of the IMO, Liberia is set and ready to contest and maintain its seat on Friday 28 November 2025. Since taking over the mantle at the Liberian Permanent Mission in London, the United Kingdom, Liberia Permanent Representative Robert Wilmot Kpadeh heading a team of technical staff with the backing of the Liberia Maritime Authority embarked on a rigorous campaign to convince IMO member states and international organizations of Liberia’s critical and outstanding leadership role played in the global maritime industry, which potentially enforces the argument for the West African nation to retain its seat on the council, as the only African nation on the IMO Council at the level of Category (A).
The Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. The Council is made up of 40 Member States, elected by the Assembly for a two-year terms.
In climaxing its exhaustive yearlong campaign, the Liberia Permanent Mission in London will on Monday 24th of November at 7:30pm host a massive campaign reception to finally engage fellow members states and essentially solidify consensus for an overwhelming reelection vote that will see the country retain its seat. After the final campaign reception, sideline meetings and engagements will continue leading up to Friday, the 28th of November at which time the voting will take place in the plenary of the IMO.
If Liberia is successful in pulling the required votes on Friday, the 28th of November, this will mark yet another historic milestone for the West African nation in retaining its seat at the high level Category (A) seat which will be contested by many revered maritime nations with the largest interest in providing international shipping services like Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.
Liberia Permanent Representative Robert Wilmot Kpadeh is quoted as saying that, “During this Assembly session, Liberia will not rest on its laurels, we will continue campaigning and engaging tirelessly at full steam to ensure our dear country Liberia retains its seat at Category (A) . Our presence at this prestigious peak puts our country Liberia front and center of global diplomacy in the context of international shipping which account for 90% of global trade and commerce. And Liberia is the FLAG the ocean and sea know, so we humbly ask our fellow member states to keep us there”, PMR Kpadeh stated.
Source : Liberia Permanent Mission Dispatch
