IMO‘s secretary-general has set out an implementation-focused agenda for 2026, describing the year as one for turning plans into measurable results.

“As we start 2026, I would like to focus on something simple: getting things done,” Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of IMO, said in his New Year statement.

“At IMO, this is the year of implementation; moving from plans to concrete actions and measurable progress,” he added.

Seafarers will be a key priority, with the IMO set to begin a major update of the STCW Convention.

“Recognizing that training needs to keep up with the new realities of the industry, we will start a major update of the STCW Convention – including emerging technologies, new fuels and changing requirements,” he said.

Dominguez also pointed to ongoing work to cut greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by or around 2050, progress on the autonomous ships code, and continued support for implementation of the High Seas Treaty.

In October 2025, the IMO‘s net-zero framework, which had been agreed in principle, failed to secure final approval following resistance from US-led member states. The vote has since been delayed by a year, putting the framework’s future in uncertainty.