IMO Secretary-General Sets Key Maritime Priorities for 2026
London | January 2026 — The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, has described the major priorities of the organization in 2026, which includes implementation, regulatory development, and sustainability of the entire global maritime industry.
The IMO Secretary-General, in his New Year message, made the declaration that 2026 will be dedicated to transforming existing policies into practical results, according to the IMO World Maritime Theme, From Policy to Practice –Powering Maritime Excellence. The message emphasizes the change in planning to actionable change in the international shipping.
The development of seafarers has been a key concern and the IMO is about to launch a thorough study of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Convention (STCW). The proposed revision also seeks to capture the industry changes, such as the introduction of new technology, new fuel, and new operational needs among the seafarers as the world evolves.
Shipping decarbonization remains one of the main points of the agenda. IMO is working on cutting the emission of greenhouse gases by international shipping, as part of its long-term goal of reaching net-zero by or around 2050.
The high pace of technological development is also anticipated to keep growing in 2026, as efforts are still underway to complete the regulatory structure of autonomous ships, which is one of the major areas that maritime stakeholders are closely following.
Furthermore, the IMO will still assist in ensuring the implementation of the High seas treaty as it gains effect as the international collaboration to ensure the protection of the marine biodiversity is reinforced beyond the national jurisdictions.
The Secretary-General finished off by affirming that there would be ongoing cooperation throughout the maritime industry and emphasized the need to implement it effectively through 2026.
