Russia will find out today whether it has secured a return to shipping’s regulatory inner circle — or whether the political freeze is set to continue. Russia is attempting to claw its way back into the International Maritime Organization’s top decision-making body, setting up one of the most politically charged council elections in years at the IMO assembly in London.
The 40-seat council — split across Categories (a), (b) and (c) — will be chosen by secret ballot today, with 48 candidates declared. Competition is notably fiercer than the last cycle, but all eyes are on Category (a), the group reserved for the ten states with the “largest interest” in providing shipping services.
The council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the assembly, for supervising the work of the organisation. The council is made up of 40 member states, elected by the assembly for two-year terms.
For 2024–25, Russia was unceremoniously voted out of Category (a) in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine — the first time in living memory it had been excluded. Now Moscow wants back in, restoring the long-standing pairing of Russia and the United States, both traditionally permanent fixtures at the top tier. Awkwardly for Russia, however, the nation has been reminded this week that it is behind in paying its IMO dues. Washington’s own re-nomination is generating diplomatic chatter, given President Trump’s well-publicised hostility towards UN institutions.
Category (a)’s line-up is otherwise unchanged, setting up a straight fight over whether member states are willing to rehabilitate Russia so soon.
Further down the ballot, Argentina is attempting to break into Category (b), while Category (c) has become a crowded field with six challengers — Belgium, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, South Africa and Thailand — vying for entry into the 20-seat grouping that seeks to balance global geographic representation. Belgium, in particular, is campaigning aggressively after narrowly losing its long-held council slot in the previous biennium.
