IMO elects first Latin American as new secretary-general

The election took place at the IMO Council session held in London on 18 July and is to be formally confirmed by the IMO Assembly convening later this year. Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco is expected to take up the post on 1 January 2024. He has been elected for a four-year period until 2027, with the possibility of a four-year extension.

Dominguez Velasco is the first Panamanian and Latin American candidate for the role of secretar-general. He has more than 25 years of professional experience in the international maritime world, in addition to his contributions as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Panama to the IMO and Chairman of the Committee for the Protection of Marine Environment (MEPC).

Befiore his appointment as Director of the Marine Environment Protection Division of the IMO, he served as director of the Administrative Division and head of Cabinet and of the Organisation.