The Permanent Mission
of Panama
to the IMO
(International Maritime Organization)

The Permanent Mission of Panama to the International Maritime Organization (MPPO), is a section of the Panama Maritime Authority that serves as an interface between the Panama Maritime Authority and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

 

The IMO is the specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for the safety of international shipping and the prevention of marine and air pollution from ships. As a specialised agency of the United Nations, the IMO is the entity in charge of developing standards to ensure the safety of shipping and the protection and prevention of pollution of the marine environment. Its main function is to establish a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair, effective and internationally enforceable.

 

The Republic of Panama greatly contributes to the IMO, in the development of international standards and measures to achieve a safer and more sustainable maritime industry.

 

The Republic of Panama has been a member of the IMO Council since 1979. Later, with the entry into force of the 1993 amendments to the Constitutive Convention of the Organisation in 2002, the Republic of Panama was elected as an ¨ A¨ category member of the Council.

 

The IMO currently has 175 Member States, of which 40 States are Council Members, and only 10 States belong to Category "A", representing the States with the greatest interests in the provision of international maritime services. This demonstrates the high level of commitment of the Republic of Panama to the work of the IMO and the shipping industry.

 

The Panama Ship Registry is one of the oldest registries in the world, with a leading position worldwide. It was established in 1917 and more than a century later, the Panama Maritime Authority, in charge of the Ship Registry, continues to be recognised as a responsible Administration, committed to its clients, offering high quality services and believing in continuous improvement.

 

The Republic of Panama as one of the Member States of the IMO participates actively in the respective meetings of the Assembly, Council, Committees, Sub-Committees, Inter-sessional Meetings and Working Groups of the Organisation, through its Permanent Mission based in London, United Kingdom.

 

The Republic of Panama nominated for the first time a candidate for Secretary General of the IMO, Naval Architect Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco, who was elected during the 129th session of the Council in July 2023, by a majority vote of the Member States of the Council and took office on 01 January 2024 as the first Latin American Secretary General and Panamanian to occupy such a renowned position.

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The Permanent Mission of Panama to the IMO is composed of the following staff:

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• Luis Bernal Gonzalez

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Panama to the IMO
Email: lbernal@panamauk.org
Tel: +44 (0) 2074092255 ext. 215
 

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• Anays Berrocal

Alternate Representative I of Panama to the IMO
Email: aberrocal@panamauk.org
Tel: +44 (0) 2074092255 ext. 211
 

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• Felix O. Sarlat

Alternate Representative II of Panama to the IMO
Email: fsarlat@panamauk.org
Tel: +44 (0) 207 629 3650
 

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• Rafael Lopez Solis

Technical Adviser of Panama to the IMO
Email: rlopez@panamauk.org
Tel: +44 (0) 2074092255 ext. 314

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• Jacqueline Da Luz

Email: imomission@panamauk.org
Tel: +44 (0) 2074092255 ext. 216
 

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We are very grateful for the continuous contribution of the IMO to the Panama Ship Registry, and we look forward to maintaining the excellent relationship between the Republic of Panama and the IMO along with all Member States, sharing the same goal and working diligently for the maritime industry.