On 18 March 2025, the 67th anniversary of the UN specialised agency, Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez and Deputy Director of the Maritime Safety Division of the IMO Secretariat Ismael Cobos Delgado visited the city of Odesa.
The delegation familiarized itself with the functioning of the special maritime corridor and examined the passenger complex of the Odesa seaport and its growth potential.
During the visit to the Morrichservice service centre, Arsenio Dominguez got acquainted with the procedure for seafarers' certification in Ukraine. Issuance of qualification documents and computer-based qualification exams (CES-test) were the main topics of discussion with Director Iryna Kostiuk.
The IMO Secretary-General held a working meeting with Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Andrii Kashuba, Acting Head of the Shipping Administration Mykola Kravchuk, Head of the SE ‘Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority’ Oleksandr Semyrha and heads of subordinate institutions, including the State Hydrographic Service of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Register of Shipping and the Maritime Search and Rescue Service.
The following topics were discussed: safety of navigation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, port operation capacities and support for Ukrainian seafarers in the face of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as well as marine environmental protection and technical cooperation.
The visit wrapped up with a discussion with students pursuing careers as seafarers. The meeting was supported by the Marine Transport Workers’ Union of Ukraine. Arsenio Dominguez shared his vision of IMO's development and stressed the importance of communication with the professionals who practically shape the maritime industry in the world.
‘We have the opportunity to make this organisation better. To engage with the Member States (IMO ed.), to be more flexible for the future, to be like all UN agencies because I don't want IMO to always be seen as a rigid bureaucratic organization. We want to see the organisation that listens, that engages, that is ready to change. But what makes me really happy and keeps me more motivated every time that I go out is actually speaking to people themselves that are on the ships, that are in the ports, the workers that do the work, implement the rules that we agreed at IMO,’ Arsenio Dominguez said.
The visit of the IMO Secretary-General was an important step in strengthening international support for Ukraine in the shipping industry.
For reference: The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is a specialised UN agency whose main activities are aimed at ensuring maritime safety, preventing pollution from ships and simplifying formalities in international merchant shipping. Ukraine has been a member of IMO since 1994.
Resolution A.1183(33) ‘The impact of the russian armed invasion of Ukraine on international shipping’ was adopted on 04 December 2023 during the 33rd session of the IMO Assembly, which resulted in the russian federation losing its membership in the Council of the Organisation. The document condemned russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, praised the establishment of a special maritime corridor in the Black Sea and commissioned a needs audit to provide Ukraine with technical assistance to effectively fulfill its obligations as a flag, port and coastal state.
The previous visit of the IMO Secretary-General to Odesa took place in August 2022. At that time, the post was held by Kitak Lim.
