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Italy reconfirmed in Category A of the IMO Council with the highest number of votes: a result of outstanding international significance

Italy reconfirmed in Category A of the IMO Council with the highest number of votes: a result of outstanding international significance

During the 34th Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), held in London from 24 November to Wednesday, 3 December, the voting for the election of the new members of the Organization’s Council for the current two-year term concluded on Friday, 28 November.

According to the Assembly’s rules, 169 out of 176 States were eligible to vote.

Italy achieved a result of exceptional significance, having been reconfirmed in Category A— which includes the ten States with the greatest interest in international maritime transport— with 155 votes, equal to about 91.7% of the total number of States eligible to vote.

  • Italy reconfirmed in Category A of the IMO Council with the highest number of votes: a result of outstanding international significance
  • 2025-11-24T00:00:00+01:00
  • 2025-12-03T23:59:59+01:00
  • During the 34th Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) , held in London from 24 November to Wednesday, 3 December, the voting for the election of the new members of the Organization’s Council for the current two-year term concluded on Friday, 28 November. According to the Assembly’s rules, 169 out of 176 States were eligible to vote. Italy achieved a result of exceptional significance, having been reconfirmed in Category A— which includes the ten States with the greatest interest in international maritime transport— with 155 votes, equal to about 91.7% of the total number of States eligible to vote.
  • When Nov 24, 2025 to Dec 03, 2025 (Europe/Berlin / UTC100)
  • Where London
  • Add event to calendar iCal

With this result, Italy ranked first, tied with China, once again affirming its leadership in the international maritime sector, as well as its central role in the processes of defining, updating, and adopting international regulations on maritime safety, marine environmental protection, and technical standards for navigation.

Category A is therefore composed of: China, Italy, Korea, Greece, United Kingdom, Japan, Panama, United States of America, Norway, and Liberia.

Reconfirmation in Category A represents a significant diplomatic success, the result of the constant commitment and authoritative negotiating action carried out by the Permanent Representation of Italy to the IMO, which benefits from the support of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and ISPRA experts—especially within the meetings of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR), and the 1996 London Convention and Protocol for the prevention of marine pollution by the dumping of wastes and other matter (LC/LP).

In this last context, ISPRA—through its experts—has contributed actively, reliably, and constructively for at least two decades within the LC/LP framework: scientifically rigorous, proactive in mediation, aligned with the European vision of environmental protection and pollution-risk prevention, and sharing contributions on topics ranging from dredged material management and reference values to marine litter, wrecks/submerged objects, effects of climate change on contaminant toxicity, and CO₂ sequestration in subsea geological formations.

Recently, ISPRA supported the Permanent Representation of Italy by participating in the 47th session of the Conference of the Parties to the London Convention and the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties to the London Protocol, held from 27 to 31 October, with a delegation of experts that strengthened the Institute’s fundamental role in this international context. Participants (in person and remotely) included Cristian Mugnai, Andrea Gaion, Raffaella Piermarini, Silvia Ceracchi, Roberto Crosti, Claudia Virno Lamberti, Carlo Piscitello, and Francesco Astorri.

The next meeting of the Scientific Groups of the London Convention and Protocol (LC/SG 49 and LP/SG 20) will be held in London from 2 to 6 March 2026 and will be chaired by ISPRA technologist Cristian Mugnai, appointed Chair from 2023 to 2027. Other ISPRA experts will be actively involved in further exploring scientific issues of high global relevance, such as geoengineering, climate change, and carbon dioxide sequestration.