LONDON (ISL News) - Indonesia was officially re-elected as a Category C member of the IMO Council for the 2026–2027 period, at the 34th International Maritime Organization (IMO) Session in London, England, Friday (28/11) local time.
Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi, who led the Indonesian delegation at the meeting, stated that Indonesia was selected after receiving support from 138 countries, placing it fifth out of 26 candidates.
Transportation Minister Dudy emphasized that Indonesia's success in being selected as one of the 40 IMO member countries demonstrates Indonesia's strategic role as a global maritime hub that plays an active role in strengthening global maritime governance.
"Indonesia's election as a member of the IMO Council is an extraordinary achievement. This demonstrates Indonesia's strategic role in global maritime governance, in line with President Prabowo Subianto's directives through ASTA CITA," said Transportation Minister Dudy.
Category C members of the IMO Council are 20 member states with special interests in maritime transport and navigation, but do not fall into categories A (countries with large shipping fleets) or B (countries with large vessels). This category ensures representation of key global geographies, such as countries with extensive seas and important geographical locations, and focuses on those special interests.
Besides Indonesia, there are 20 other countries that have been successfully elected as Category C IMO Council Members, namely the Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Egypt, Finland, Jamaica, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, and Turkey.
Transportation Minister Dudy added that Indonesia will remain committed to advancing shipping safety, environmental conservation, developing smart and sustainable ports, and improving the welfare and competence of seafarers.
"Indonesia is ready to work with all member countries to steer international shipping toward a safer, greener, and more resilient future. Through cooperation and collective commitment, the world can maximize shared maritime opportunities to achieve global sustainability," said Transportation Minister Dudy.
Transportation Minister Dudy also highlighted issues of shipping safety, decarbonization, seafarer protection, and Indonesia's candidacy for the IMO Council. "As the world's largest archipelagic nation, Indonesia emphasizes the importance of strong and integrated maritime governance, particularly on four main pillars: shipping safety, environmental protection and preservation, smooth facilitation, and equitable capacity development for all IMO member states," he said.
Regarding maritime safety, Indonesia reiterated the importance of implementing e-navigation, modernizing the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), and a risk management approach. Indonesia has implemented a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the Sunda and Lombok Straits. This serves as a concrete example of how international cooperation and scientific research can improve shipping safety in busy waterways.
Regarding decarbonization, Indonesia affirmed its strong commitment to aligning national policies with the IMO agenda. These efforts include a strategy to achieve net-zero emissions, the gradual expansion of on-shore power supply facilities at Indonesian ports, and the designation of the Lombok Strait as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA).
"As one of the largest seafaring communities in the world, Indonesia also places human resources (HR) at the center of its maritime ecosystem. Indonesia is encouraging the strengthening of seafarers' rights, mental health, and well-being, including through the development of a digital training framework that ensures technological transformation favors seafarers," said Transportation Minister Dudy.
Furthermore, Indonesia also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the IMO. Indonesia's ratification of the 2021 Amendments to the IMO Convention demonstrates its support for a more inclusive and representative Council and strengthens the principle of multilingualism within the organization.
On the sidelines of the 34th IMO session, Minister of Transportation Dudy held a number of bilateral meetings, namely with IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez; UK Minister for Aviation, Maritime Affairs and Decarbonization Keir Mather; Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management Robert Tieman; Chinese Deputy Minister of Transport Li Yang; and the Transport Ministers of ASEAN Member States.
(ISL News Editorial Team/Hubla/RYS/HH/GT/EYD).
