The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council has voted to appoint Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco of the Republic of Panama as the next Secretary-General for an initial four-year term.

Velasco will take over the helm of the IMO from current IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim, whose term would end on December 31, 2023.

In a brief announcement, the IMO said Velasco's appointment would take effect on January 1, 2024, subject to the IMO Assembly's approval.

Upon his appointment, Velasco would be the tenth elected Secretary-General of the IMO.

Lim (Republic of Korea) was elected Secretary-General of the Organization by the 114th session of the IMO Council in June 2015 for a four-year period beginning January 1, 2016.

At its 31st session (November-December 2019), the Assembly approved the renewal of Lim's appointment as Secretary-General of IMO for a second and final term of four years (January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2023).