The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has named the candidates nominated by its member states for the post of Secretary-General.

The new IMO Secretary-General will succeed Kitack Lim of the Republic of South Korea when his term ends on December 31, 2023.

"Seven IMO Member States have each nominated a candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the IMO," the announcement said.

The nominations were received by the deadline set for receipt of nominations on March 31, 2023.

The nominees were Moin Uddin Ahmed (Bangladesh), Suat Hayri Aka (Türkiye), Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco (Panama), Dr Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry (Dominica), Nancy Karigithu (Kenya), Minna Kivimäki (Finland), and Zhang Xiaojie (China).

The IMO Council, at its 128th session (December 2022), approved the procedures for holding the election of the Secretary-General at the July 2023 session of the Council (C 129).  

IMO said the election would take place at IMO Headquarters on July 18.

Following the election in July 2023, the decision of the Council will be submitted to the 33rd session of the Assembly of IMO in late 2023.

The Assembly will then be invited to approve the appointment.  

IMO noted that the newly-elected Secretary-General will take office on January 1, 2024.