PANAMA—-July 18, 2023— The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) is proud to announce the election of Arsenio Dominguez, current IMO Director of Environment, as the new Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization.

Last December, The AMP presented the candidacy of Naval Architect Arsenio Dominguez under the slogan “Taking the initiative for a united and better future”, as Secretary General of the IMO.

Arsenio Dominguez is the first Latin American and Panamanian in history to achieve this position.

Dominguez competed alongside Moin Uddin Ahmed of Bangladesh, Suat Hayri Aka of Turkey, Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry of Dominica, Nancy Karigithu of Kenya, Minna Kivimäki of Finland, and Zhang Xiaojie of China for the post.

“As an IMO member country, we extend our congratulations to all of them and look forward to continuing to work together for the maritime industry,” said Noriel Arauz, head of the Panama Maritime Authority and Minister of Maritime Affairs.

Mr. Dominguez has been Panama’s alternate representative to the IMO from 2004 until 2014 when he was appointed Panama’s Ambassador to the IMO and President of MEPC until 2017 when he joined the International Maritime Organization as Chief of Staff, then Administrative Director and Director of Marine Environment.

With the goal of serving IMO by “putting people and the planet first,” the Secretary General-elect said during his campaign, “We must take the initiative to address the human element, including the safety, education, training and welfare of seafarers. Seafaring is not a profession like any other: it is rewarding, adventurous and dangerous; our job is to respect it”, which shows that he will prioritize the safety of seafarers in his term as Secretary General.

He also expressed his position on promoting technological innovation to make ships more efficient in their operation and considering the associated cyber risks, and his interest in coordinating the green and autonomous agenda to facilitate and maintain the security of international trade as new trends emerge.

Panama joined the IMO on December 31, 1958, becoming a member of the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1979. With the entry into force in 2002 of the 1993 amendments to the Convention Establishing the Organization, Panama has since been re-elected as a Category A member of the Council.

Mr. Dominguez’s election honors Panama, its maritime vocation, and dedication to this industry for more than a century.