AIDE MEMOIRE: CANDIDATURE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS FOR RE-ELECTION TO THE IMO COUNCIL IN CATEGORY “C” 2026-2027

AIDE MEMOIRE: CANDIDATURE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS FOR RE-ELECTION TO THE IMO COUNCIL IN CATEGORY “C” 2026-2027

The Commonwealth of The Bahamas has had the pleasure and privilege of serving on the Council continuously from 1999 to the present and has the honour to seek re-election to the Council in Category “C” at the upcoming IMO Assembly 34^th Session in December 2025. It may be recalled that the Council membership is made up of three groups of states designated A, B, and C. Category “C” is open to those twenty (20) member states that have a special interest in maritime transport or navigation, and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world. The Commonwealth of The Bahamas as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), uniquely encompasses these criteria.

The Bahamas is unique in its embodiment of the geographic eligibility criterion for IMO council membership.  As a maritime nation, consisting of an archipelago of some 700 Islands, some 2,000 cays and rocks, and reefs spread over some 100,000 square miles of beautiful coral seas, preservation of the marine environment is paramount. The Bahamas is also a strategic maritime state, with significant international routes dissecting its archipelago, linking the major global hemispheres and economic centres.  The Bahamas also possesses, aesthetically and commercially, some of the outstanding ports in the region, with those in Nassau and Freeport having shipping and logistics capabilities through their cruise, container, repair, petroleum product, trans-shipment, and bunkering facilities.

The IMO 2025 maritime theme, ‘Our Ocean – Our Obligation – Our Opportunity’ was chosen to reflect the ocean’s role in the world economy and environment. The Bahamas remains supportive of the IMO’s initial, and revised strategies of Greenhouse Gas Reduction (GHG) related to shipping. It ensures engagement with its stakeholders at all stages of the process towards the reduction of GHG emissions, with consideration of alternative fuels and operational measures.

In recognition of the fundamental aim of enhanced maritime security and the expanded scope of maritime safety and protection of the marine environment, The Bahamas Long Range Identification and Tracking of Ships (LRIT) data centre continues to make data available to naval forces and governments combating piracy and illegal acts directed towards shipping globally.

Capacity development, education, and the training of the next generation of maritime professionals – including advancing policies and practices that promote gender equality in the maritime sector – remain tenets of the IMO, and The Bahamas is honoured to serve on the Executive Board of Governors of the World Maritime University. At a national level, The Bahamas has a number of STCW-approved training institutions and continues to raise awareness of the importance of maritime to potential seafarers through its cadet programme. The Bahamas is a strong proponent of gender equality (UN SDG 5) and recognises the valuable contribution of women to the maritime sector

The Bahamas was among the first to ratify the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006); demonstrating its commitment to the indispensable human resources of ships’ crews and the rights of seafarers. To this day The Bahamas continues to advocate for the health and well-being of mariners.    

The Bahamas continues to play a significant role in developing safety and environmental instruments and actively seeks to bring differing parties and perspectives together. The Bahamas has submitted papers for discussion on a wide variety of issues, including: passenger ship safety; MARPOL record books; recommendations and proposals for the re-classification of cargos and amendments to the IMSBC Code; and amendments to the LSA Code. The Bahamas chaired the IMO group which led to the development of the International Code of Safety for Diving Operations, 2023 (2023 Diving Code), providing an international standard of safety for diving units and enhancing the safety of divers and diving support personnel.

As the world’s 8^th largest flag state with a fleet in excess of fifteen hundred ships totaling over 63 million gross tonnage, The Bahamas is a major contributor to the IMO budget.  The reputation of The Bahamas for upholding the highest standards of safety, security, and environmental protection has been recognised in its port state inspection record with The Bahamas consistently being one of the highest ranked flags with a low-risk factor in the regional port-state MOUs.

Regional collaboration is achieved by The Bahamas working closely with its Caribbean neighbours in the areas of flag-, port- and coastal-state responsibilities. The Bahamas is an active member of the Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (CMOU) and contributes to the development of safety standards and policies for small ships trading in the Caribbean region. Through its active involvement in the CMOU activities and the provision of technical expertise to regional seminars and conferences, The Bahamas remains committed to preserving and enhancing the level of maritime safety, security, and environmental protection in the Caribbean region.

The Bahamas’ membership of the IMO Council continues to be characterised as constructive, collaborative and proactive, with the aim of fostering the Organization’s goals through a process of consensus. If honoured with the privilege of re-election, The Bahamas will continue to support efforts to improve working methods, to facilitate efficient delivery of modern regulations, and to advocate for simplification and rationalisation of regulations and guidelines. Furthermore, The Bahamas will continue to strive for improvements in operational efficiency, fairness, and equality, and has appointed a substantive Permanent Representative to the IMO to be based in London to strengthen its IMO representation.

The Bahamas, therefore, welcomes your Government’s invaluable support for its candidature for re-election to the Council of the IMO in Category “C”, under the provisions of Article 17 (c) of the IMO Convention, for the biennium term 2026- 2027.