The new capacity development strategy focuses on compliance with IMO rules, with considerable support set to be directed to Africa.
by Blue Africa News
Several African countries are set to benefit from a new capacity development strategy by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), aimed at strengthening support for Member States globally.
During the 34th session of IMO’s Assembly in London, United Kingdom (UK) in December 2025, members of the Assembly adopted a new strategy to strengthen Member State compliance with IMO rules, by expanding capacity-development support.
The strategy was among 22 resolutions adopted by the Assembly, with others ranging from decisions on the organisation’s budget, and financial statements to work programs, majorly covering the 2026-2027 period.
“Everything placed before this Assembly has been achieved, adopted, or approved,” IMO Secretary-General (SG) Arsenio Dominguez told delegates. “You have turned ideas into action and transformed collective ambition into concrete outcomes. Your decisions have strengthened the governance and strategic direction of IMO.”
The capacity development strategy, according to IMO, establishes a streamlined framework to support all Member States, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), in implementing the organisation’s regulations.
The regulations will be implemented through strengthened national maritime policies, and strategies that boost economic growth, while protecting the marine environment and promoting sustainable shipping.
African countries form the bulk of SIDS and LDCs. The United Nations (UN) has grouped SIDS into Caribbean, Pacific and Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea (AIS) regions, with African countries falling into the last category.
They are: Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe and Seychelles.
On the other hand, 32 African nations are part of the 44 LDCs, among them Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia and Guinea.
Other are Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia, implying that considerable amount of IMO’s support to Member States will be directed to Africa.
Further, the IMO strategy contains 8 strategic directions, performance indicators, and the IMO organs’ work program for 2026–2027, focused on promoting safe, secure, environmentally sound and sustainable shipping across the globe, pegged on IMO’s vision 2024–2029 which remains the global regulator of shipping, addressing technology, climate, environment, seafarer well-being, supply chain resilience and supporting the 2030 UN Agenda.
It calls for action by all countries to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030 world-wide, as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are seen as an opportunity to transform the world “for the better and leave no one behind.”
Ensuring implementation of IMO instruments supported by capacity development, integrating new, emerging and advancing technologies in the regulatory framework, responding to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, continued engagement in ocean governance, enhancing global facilitation, supply chain resilience and security of international trade, addressing the human element, ensuring the regulatory effectiveness of international shipping and ensuring organisational effectiveness are the 8 strategic directions taken by the IMO Assembly.
IMO’s budget for the 2026-2027 period stands at £87,427,000, comprising an appropriation of £43,367,000 for 2026 and an appropriation of £44,060,000 for 2027, financed by Member States contributions, amounting to £76,835,000. The contributions comprise £38,081,000 for 2026 and £38,754,000 for 2027.
The Assembly is the highest governing body of the IMO, consisting of all the 176 Member States, meeting once every two years to set the overall work program and budget.
The Assembly then elects 40 states who form the Council, under category “A”, “B” and “C” seats. Liberia, Nigeria, Morrocco, South Africa and Egypt are the current representatives in the IMO Council.
During elections held in November 2025, Liberia retained its position under category “A” while Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Nigeria landed the category “C” seats.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News