Jamaica was elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) at its 25th session held recently in London, England.

The IMO is the United Nations specialised agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.

At the meeting, Jamaica submitted its candidacy to become a member of the very influential IMO Council in Category C and was elected to join some 20 states which hold that designation. The category accommodates states which have special interest in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the council ensures representation of all major geographic areas of the world. Jamaica, by its election, joins Australia, The Bahamas, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Nigeria, New Zealand, Nigeria, the Phillipines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey in Category C.

Three categories

The Assembly of the IMO accommodates three categories of countries on its council. These are led by Category A, which has 10 states with the largest interest in providing international shipping services. They are China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Category B, which consists of members with the largest interest in international seaborne trade, is made up of another 10 states, namely, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.