Media Advisory: IMO Council, 2-6 November 2026

The IMO Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. The Council is made up of 40 Member States, elected by the IMO Assembly for two-year terms.

The agenda for the 138th session includes, among other items:

• Strategy and planning
• Resource management, including financial reports
• Protection of vital shipping lanes (including discussions on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Black Sea and Sea of Azov and Red Sea regions)
• Contract of the Secretary-General

Press Q&A with the IMO Secretary-General - Monday 2 November

Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez will hold a Q&A with members of the media on Monday 2 November from 1.45pm to 2.30pm at IMO Headquarters in London. Please email media@imo.org to register.

Council 138 meeting schedule

Venue: To be held in person with hybrid participation at IMO Headquarters in London, chaired by Mr. Victor Jimenez of Spain.

Timetable: Attached is the provisional timetable for discussions.

Opening: Meeting will open at 9.30am Monday 2 November.

Daily schedule: Plenary sessions will be held daily from Monday to Friday, from 9.30am to 5.30pm with 30-minute breaks at 11.00am and 4.00pm UK time, and a 2-hour lunch break from 12.30pm to 2.30pm.

Media access

Livestream: The Council plenary sessions are scheduled to be livestreamed on IMO Youtube channel.

In person attendance: Accredited media can also follow in person at IMO headquarters in London (some restrictions to filming may apply). To attend and follow the meetings in person (especially if with a camera) please notify us as soon as possible, by emailing media@imo.org.

Contact: Feel free to contact media@imo.org for any media queries or interview requests.

Accreditation

If not already accredited, please fill in the form here: Attending IMO Meetings and send back to media@imo.org along with the required documentation. See also guidance for covering IMO meetings: Terms and conditions

Meeting documents

Meeting documents are available on IMODOCS for accredited media or via a public account.