World Ocean Day: IMO urges nations to put policies into practice

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez has urged the UN agency’s 176 Member States, as well as the wider global shipping industry, to implement measures to protect the marine environment in honour of World Ocean Day 2026 (8 June).

In a video message filmed in the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, Dominguez said: “At IMO, we take our responsibility to protect the ocean seriously. With shipping being one of the main users of the ocean space, it is the reason why we focus on enhancing our regulatory framework to reduce pollution and address new challenges, such as underwater radiated noise and transboundary species. We have a responsibility as a society to protect this ocean for generations to come.”

Since its foundation in 1948, the IMO has established internationally-agreed policies to prevent pollution, protect marine life and support safer, more sustainable shipping, including treaties such as the MARPOL Convention, the Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling, and the London Convention and Protocol on dumping of wastes at sea. In his New Year’s message, Dominguez called for Member States to implement safety and environmental standards as he launched the IMO’s two-year initiative – ‘From policy to practice: powering maritime excellence’ – which will begin on World Maritime Day 2026 (24 September).

The IMO is working with Member States to tackle marine plastic pollution from ships and has a goal of zero plastic waste discharges to sea from ships by 2030. It has also extended a trial for its revised guidelines for the reduction of underwater radiated noise from shipping until 2028, which aims to address the adverse impacts on marine life, with plans to commission a study to inform future measures.

The IMO is also discussing regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping, with talks set to take place at the 85th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee scheduled for 30 November to 3 December 2026 at the IMO headquarters in London, UK.