GENEVA (CMC) – Two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have been elected to serve on the council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for the 2020-2021 biennium.

The Bahamas and Jamaica were elected to the council at the IMO’s 31st Assembly, now taking place in London, and they represent states which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world.

The two CARICOM countries join Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey.

The council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the organization.  Between sessions of the assembly, the council performs all the functions of the assembly, except that of making recommendations to governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.

The newly elected council will meet on December 5, following the conclusion of the 31st assembly and will elect its chair and vice-chair for the next biennium.

All 174 members of the IMO and the three associate states are entitled to attend the assembly, which is IMO’s highest governing body. The assembly normally meets once every two years in regular session. It is responsible for approving the work programme, voting the budget and determining the financial arrangements of the organization. It also elects the organisation’s 40-member council.