28 June 2011: Koji Sekimizu (Japan) has been elected as the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), with effect from 1 January 2012 and for an initial term of four years.

The vote took place during the 106th session of the IMO Council, which is being held from 27 June-1 July 2011. The Council decision will be submitted to the IMO Assembly for approval when it meets for its 27th session from 21-30 November 2011. Sekimizu is currently Director of IMO’s Maritime Safety Division. He will succeed IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos (Greece). [IMO Press Release]