The Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the safety, security, health and well-being of seafarers amid continuing threats to international shipping.
Meeting for its 138th session at IMO Headquarters in London (2–6 November 2026), the Council reiterated that vital shipping lanes should remain open, safe and secure. It underscored that seafarers must be protected wherever they are and whatever their nationality, including in geopolitical disputes over which they have no control.
Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez emphasized: “Seafarers continue to lose their lives, suffer serious injuries, face abandonment, are denied repatriation and are deprived of basic human necessities, including water, food and medical care, resulting from the ongoing geopolitical conflicts.”
He highlighted the death of another seafarer this week, following an attack on the M/T VELOS SAPPHIRE in the Strait of Hormuz on 5 November, bringing the number of confirmed casualties to 25 since the conflict in the Middle East began. In total, at least 130 attacks against commercial vessels in the region have been verified by IMO, with thousands of seafarers at risk, including those on ships that have been unable to leave the Persian Gulf.
The Council called on Member States to refrain from unlawful measures that would jeopardize the safety of seafarers and international shipping. The Secretary-General further committed to finding additional concrete measures IMO can take to help prevent further loss of life and alleviate the human cost of the crisis.
The Council strongly condemned attacks carried out by the Houthis against merchant and commercial vessels and their crews in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, as well as attacks by the Russian Federation against merchant vessels, seafarers, port infrastructure, search and rescue assets and other maritime safety services supporting the operation of Ukraine’s special maritime corridor. It reiterated its commitment to the security and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
Call to enforce maritime rules in Hormuz
Following the Council’s affirmation, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez has called for stronger action from IMO Member States to enforce maritime safety and security regulations in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
“IMO’s technical and operational regulations are there to protect seafarers, ships and the marine environment. They must be respected and enforced effectively. There are too many cases of ships transiting the Strait without complying with fundamental provisions of treaties such as the International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).”
He expressed concerns about reports of substandard vessels, vessels covering their IMO number, ongoing transits of ships that are fraudulently registered or under false flags, and other unsafe practices.
“I call on all flag States, port States and relevant coastal States to exercise their responsibilities under IMO conventions and take measures to address violations, within their respective jurisdictions, and in accordance with international law. I strongly urge shipowners and operators to refrain from commercial activities in the Strait that expose seafarers to unacceptable risks. It is imperative for Governments to tackle the root causes of this conflict, which has also increased the cost of living for millions of people worldwide,” he stated.
Further reading
“From Hobbes to Hormuz: when Leviathans fight for control of the Strait,”
This Shipping Australia article explains why the International Maritime Organization, international law, and cooperation matter in a world of warring countries. Using the armed conflict in the Strait of Hormuz as its contemporary setting, it explores humanity’s enduring struggle to restrain the exercise of power and limit the harm caused by war.
