2026-2027 IMO Council Elected

November 30, 2025

The IMO Assembly has elected the following Member States to serve on three categories of the IMO Council.

The UK successfully campaigned to keep Russia off the Council by working closely with international partners and lobbying other Assembly Members. This underscores the international community’s unified and resolute stance against Russia’s continued violations of international law, including at sea, said the UK Department of Transport in a statement.

Source: IMO
Source: IMO

Category (a): 10 States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services: China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Category (b): 10 States with the largest interest in international seaborne trade: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates

Category (c): 20 States not elected under (a) or (b) above, which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world: Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Egypt, Finland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, and Türkiye.

The newly elected Council will meet for its 136th session on December 4 and will elect its Chair and Vice-Chair for the next biennium. 

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