Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), outlines his thoughts on the World Maritime Day 2026 theme: “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.”

It’s one thing to draft regulations but it’s another to see them create tangible results. In this video, Dominguez emphasises that the real measure of success is a shipping industry that is:

Safer for every seafarer.
More Sustainable for our planet.
More Environmentally Friendly for future generations
Highly Secure across global trade routes.

“When we talk about ‘practice’, we are talking about people. The seafarers on the ship; the people in the port… and flag state administrators.”

By providing the right support frameworks to Member States with the experience gained by implementing the rules, the IMO is bridging the gap between global standards and everyday reality.