{"id":22071,"date":"2026-07-13T23:44:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T22:44:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/?p=22071"},"modified":"2026-08-27T23:49:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T22:49:58","slug":"imo-council-reaffirms-commitment-to-protecting-vital-shipping-lanes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/imo-council-reaffirms-commitment-to-protecting-vital-shipping-lanes\/","title":{"rendered":"IMO Council reaffirms commitment to protecting vital shipping lanes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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IMO Council defends freedom of navigation, international law and safety of seafarers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The\u00a0Council<\/a>\u00a0of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) concluded its 137th session (6 – 10 July) by reaffirming the importance of preserving navigational rights and freedoms in accordance with international law.<\/p>\n

In a resolution adopted during the session, the Council stressed that the right of transit passage through straits used for international navigation should not be threatened, impeded, denied, hampered, impaired or suspended.<\/p>\n

In addition, the Council reiterated that any measures taken by coastal States to regulate traffic in vital shipping lanes should be done with accordance with IMO regulations under the International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).<\/p>\n

Strait of Hormuz<\/h4>\n

With regards to the ongoing challenges facing international shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the Council condemned the attacks on civilian commercial ships and called for the de-escalation of tensions in the\u00a0Middle East<\/a>\u00a0region.<\/p>\n

The Council stressed that any arrangement between the littoral States of the region shall guarantee the non-discriminatory and unimpeded right of transit passage of all ships, through the internationally recognised traffic separation scheme adopted by IMO in 1968.<\/p>\n

The Council reaffirmed that passage through the Strait should remain free of any tolls and charges, in accordance with international law, including the IMO Convention.<\/p>\n

It requested the Secretary-General to explore options that advance safe maritime traffic and to work with littoral States, other Member States and the industry to ensure a coordinated and sustainable return to unhindered navigation through the Strait.<\/p>\n

Cooperative mechanism for Straits of Malacca and Singapore<\/h4>\n

The Council noted the information shared Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore on their experience in co-managing the Straits of Malacca and Singapore through a “Cooperative Mechanism” that brings governments and industry together to share the burden.<\/p>\n

The Council invited interested Member States and other stakeholders to consider making financial or in-kind contributions to the mechanism’s two funds – the Aids to Navigation Fund and the IMO Straits of Malacca and Singapore Trust Fund to support the Co-operative Mechanism.<\/p>\n

Other key decisions<\/h4>\n

Annual report\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The Council approved the Organization\u2019s annual report for 2025:\u00a0Annual Report\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Financial report\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Assessed contributions from Member States remains the Organization\u2019s most important source of funding. The assessment collection rate of 99.10% in 2025 is among the highest in the United Nations system.<\/p>\n

The Organization delivered a strong financial performance in 2025. Total revenue increased by 2.97% to \u00a377.96 million, driven by a growth in publication and cafeteria sales, and assessed contributions.<\/p>\n

Managing risk\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The Council approved the updated Risk Management Policy and its new Strategic Fraud Risk Management Annex, giving the Organization clearer tools to manage risk and reinforcing IMO\u2019s zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption.<\/p>\n

IMSAS update\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The Council welcomed the successful completion of the first audit cycle of the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS<\/a>). Since the commencement of mandatory audits in February 2016, 168 audits of 165 Member States and three Associate Members had been conducted.<\/p>\n

Of the five audits scheduled for 2026, three have been completed (Belarus, Haiti and Mozambique) with the remaining two (Eritrea and Yemen) progressing as planned.<\/p>\n

The Council encouraged audited Member States to authorize the Secretariat to release their audit reports to the public, including the audit final report, for full transparency.<\/p>\n

Non-governmental organizations\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The Council granted consultative status to the following non-governmental organizations:<\/p>\n