Russia Fails to Be Re-Elected to International Maritime Organisation Council, Zelenskyy Reacted
Russia has not been included in the renewed composition of the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the UN agency dealing with shipping safety issues.
The Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation has elected China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Norway, Panama, Korea, the UK and the US as members of the Agency's Council for 2024-2025. Russia was not included.
The Assembly of the IMO has elected the following States to be Members of the Council for the 2024-2025 biennium Category (a): China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Norway, Panama, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States pic.twitter.com/6dJkAb1ZRu
— IMO (@IMOHQ) December 1, 2023
"I welcome this just decision. In the last decade, no country has done more to undermine freedom of navigation than Russia. I am grateful to IMO member states for taking this crucial step," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote.
The President's Office said that Zelenskyy addressed the Assembly on Monday, arguing that Russia had no place in the IMO's governing body.
Russia failed to be elected to the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for the first time in history.
The Assembly of the International Maritime Organization has just elected a new IMO Council for 2024-2025. Russia was not elected.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 1, 2023
I welcome this just decision. In the last decade, no country has done more to undermine freedom of navigation than Russia.
I am grateful to IMO…
In addition, Russia failed to be elected to the Executive Council of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for the first time.
Prior to that, a Russian representative was not elected to the International Court of the UN, losing out to Romania’s representative, former Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu.