For the thirteenth time in a row, Malta has been elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations’ governing body in charge of regulating the maritime sector. This election took place yesterday in London during the 32nd session of the General Assembly of the same organization.

The election confirms that Malta, which has one of the world's largest registers of merchant ships, is respected by the international community in the sector, the government said in a statement.

An assembly earlier this week was addressed by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Ian Borg. He reiterated that Malta's continued commitment to the International Maritime Organization had brought several special interest topics to the country.

The IMO Council is the executive body tasked with overseeing the organisation's entire operation, where its 40 members were elected from among its 176 member states. Such elections ensure that the Council is made up of members having the highest maritime interest whilst representing all world regions.

Borg, who led the delegation during the Assembly, held virtually due to the pandemic situation, thanked Transport Malta officials and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for achieving this success. The Minister expressed his wish for Malta to continue to take an active part in this Council to further increase safety and efficiency in the shipping industry.