Antigua and Barbuda reaffirms strong maritime leadership at 34th IMO Assembly in London
Antigua and Barbuda reinforced its global maritime leadership at the 34th Session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly, delivering a strong national statement that underscored the country’s commitment to sustainability, safety, security, and collaboration within the international maritime sector.
The delegation was lead by H.E. Dr. Dwight C.R. Gardiner, OBE, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the IMO, who addressed the Assembly on behalf of the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda.
Ambassador Gardiner praised the IMO’s 2025 World Maritime Day theme, “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity,” recognizing the critical role of the ocean in global economic stability and environmental health. He reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s support for innovation, decarbonisation, and digitalisation across the maritime sector, and highlighted the urgency felt by small island developing states facing the impacts of climate change.
He further called for global consensus on adopting the amendments to MARPOL Annex VI on measures to address greenhouse gas emissions from ships and emphasized the need to uphold the principle of a just and equitable transition to prevent excessive increases in transportation costs for vulnerable especially Small Idland Developing States (SIDS).
Ambassador Gardiner announced Antigua and Barbuda’s strengthened ship registry regulations aimed at countering dark and shadow fleets, including automatic deregistration of sanctioned vessels. He also highlighted the recent launch of the Global Centre for Maritime Sanctions Monitoring, established in partnership with Malta and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Centre will serve as a dedicated global mechanism for monitoring compliance with UN Security Council sanctions and combating transnational maritime crime.
The country reaffirmed its support for the IMO’s efforts to advance gender balance in the maritime sector. Ambassador Gardiner acknowledged the importance of the Women in Maritima Association Caribbean and highlighted the Antigua and Barbuda chapter’s active promotion of maritime careers for women and girls through seminars and outreach programmes.
Reiterating Antigua and Barbuda’s leadership role in regional maritime affairs, Ambassador Gardiner thanked the Latin America and Caribbean Section of the IMO Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division for supporting capacity building on IMO obligations in Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Barbuda remains a longstanding trusted partner for the facilitation and execution of IMO technical cooperation activities.
Ambassador Gardiner concluded Antigua and Barbuda’s intervention by urging all IMO Member States to continue fostering collaboration and consensus in pursuit of safe, secure, and environmentally responsible shipping in the digital age.
In a significant recognition of Antigua and Barbuda’s maritime leadership, Ambassador Gardiner was also unanimously elected Chair of Committee 1 of the IMO Assembly. This key committee is central to the Assembly’s work handling legal, administrative, financial and technical cooperation matters of the Organization. Ambassador Gardiner’s election reflects the confidence of IMO Member States in his expertise, diplomacy, and longstanding service to the global maritime community.
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda also congratulates our CARICOM sisters, the Bahamas and Jamaica for their successful re-election to the IMO Council.
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