"Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco has been confirmed as the next Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)," the announcement said.

"The IMO Assembly unanimously approved (November 30) the decision of the Council at its 129th session (C129) to appoint him to the role," it added. 

Dominguez Velasco will take up the office of Secretary-General on January 1, 2024, for an initial term of four years, ending on December 31, 2027 — becoming the organization's 10th elected Secretary-General.

The IMO announced that its Council voted to appoint Dominguez Velasco last July.

Kitack Lim, the IMO's outgoing secretary-general, congratulated his successor on his appointment and said he is "confident that the Membership as a whole has made a wise decision."

"Dominguez Velasco will ably lead the Secretariat in promoting the mandate of the Organization and in the delivery of its objectives," Lim said, as he pledged to work with him to ensure an orderly and successful hand-over for the role.

Addressing the Assembly, Dominguez Velasco said IMO have his "full commitment" to build on the great work that has been done by his predecessors.

"Taking what is already a significant and influential organization to be an institution that will thrive in delivering its full agenda, from safety to decarbonization, from digitalization to the human element."

"I want to reiterate how much I'm looking forward to leading IMO, to continue working with all of you, an extraordinary group of people who have demonstrated time and time again that we can deliver by listening and understanding each other, sharing our aims and concerns," Dominguez Velasoco said.