As World Oceans Day approaches on June 8, Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez emphasizes the urgent need for a stronger collective global movement that must not fade away. Mr. Dominguez, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), has called upon the international community to showcase the power of multilateralism by renewing global commitments and actions aimed at protecting our oceans.
With World Oceans Day on June 8 and the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, from June 9 to 13, Mr. Dominguez encourages governments, businesses, and civil society to seize this moment as a chance for global collaboration to benefit future generations. He stated, ‘We all have a responsibility to safeguard our precious marine environment and the resources upon which we all rely. Governments, industries, and civil society—this is our ocean, our duty, and our opportunity. On this World Ocean Day, let’s reaffirm our shared commitment to enhance our efforts through the power of multilateral action. The ocean and our planet depend on it.’
At the UN Ocean Conference 2025, Mr. Dominguez will lead a delegation to promote the shipping sector's role in ocean protection. He will connect with global leaders, ocean technology experts, representatives from civil society, and the private sector to foster joint initiatives that leverage the shipping industry’s capacity to bolster ocean action. Shipping accounts for over 80% of global trade and contributes more than USD 900 billion annually to the ocean economy.
To tap into the industry’s vast expertise, the IMO's Global Industry Alliance (GIA) offers a proven public-private partnership model, uniting maritime companies and leaders from other ocean industries to support IMO's climate and ocean initiatives. During the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, the IMO will announce new Global Industry Alliances aimed at mobilizing actions against underwater noise and marine plastic pollution.
Moreover, the IMO’s renewed commitment builds on seven decades of establishing global laws and standards to protect the marine environment from harmful shipping activities supported by technical cooperation. These efforts have significantly reduced oil spills, shipping losses, and air pollution globally.
Currently, the IMO is intensifying its focus on addressing the interconnected challenges of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss by:
- Acting on climate—developing new regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships and manage decarbonization technologies.
- Preventing marine pollution—addressing land-based sources of marine plastic waste through an updated global action plan.
- Preserving biodiversity—creating a binding legal framework to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species via shipping and assisting member states in tackling underwater noise.
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