International Maritime Organization chief 'optimistic' about Red Sea conflict

The secretary general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Panamanian Arsenio Domínguez, told AFP that his organization works “tirelessly” to end the Red Sea conflict and was “optimistic” about its resolution.

“Our job is to continue talking to all parties, supporting the processes within the organization and seeking any contribution we can make within the United Nations,” said Domínguez, 53, in an interview at the organization’s headquarters in London.

The Panamanian, in charge of this United Nations organization since January 1st, added that the IMO “will not rest in continuing to coordinate any action that leads to a solution to this issue”.

Since mid-November, Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels have launched dozens of attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea in “solidarity” with Palestinians affected by the war between Israel and Hamas.

At first, they claimed to target only Israeli-linked ships, but expanded the spectrum to ships from the United States and the United Kingdom after those countries bombed their positions in Yemen in retaliation for their attacks in the Red Sea.

“I have always been an optimist and I will remain so. I am a positive person who seeks to find a solution to the challenges we face. And on the Red Sea issue, within the IMO, the focus is to continue providing practical and operational measures so that ships can continue operating”, he insisted.

– Role of the IMO –

The role that the IMO should play, in Domínguez's opinion, on a route that covers 15% of global freight transport, is “to ensure that the parties continue to dialogue so that the (conflict) situation does not worsen more than expected. that happened and we return to a marine environment free from dangerous situations”.

Although for the Panamanian leader “it is currently difficult to say in a few words what the solution is”.

“In many conversations, at the level of the United Nations, with all parties, we are listening, we are seeing, we are getting involved, we know the roots of the problem, the different opinions, the points where we converge in order to seek an adequate solution”, he explained. .

Some shipping companies, due to the problem of Huthi attacks, have chosen to bypass the African continent instead of using the Suez Canal, although Arsenio Domínguez recognizes that “it is not the ideal solution”, due to the increase in costs, which in turn affects the increase in the price of products.

“More than 60% of the annual tonnage that passed through the Suez Canal now passes through southern Africa, which is why insurance has increased and fuel is used in greater quantities. There are additional costs and a human impact on the crew, because there are ten additional days of navigation”, stated the secretary general.

– Ship hijacked –

One of the problems to be resolved is the release of the Galaxy Leader, a ship owned by Ray Shipping, partially owned by Israeli businessman Abraham Ungar.

The vessel and its 25 crew members, of Filipino, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Romanian and Mexican nationality, have been in the hands of the Huthis since November 2023.

In Domínguez's opinion, the negotiations for the release of the ship, which are being carried out, “are very sensitive and diplomatic, so it is important to allow them to continue moving forward”, and added that “if they ask me for any intervention, let it be appropriate and I If you can do it, I’m willing.”

The IMO, according to the organization's own definition, is a United Nations institution responsible for ensuring the safety of maritime transport and preventing pollution of the seas.

“For more than ten years we have been working to improve the energy efficiency of ships and last year we achieved the unanimous adoption of the strategy for the decarbonization of the maritime industry by around 2050”, said the tenth Secretary General of the IMO and the first to speak Hispanic.