International Maritime Organization opens regional office in Fiji to boost Pacific maritime cooperation

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

The International Maritime Organization has inaugurated a new Regional Presence Office in Suva, Fiji, marking a milestone for regional maritime cooperation and capacity development in the Pacific. 

The Regional Presence Office, hosted by Fiji and initially based at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community buildings, will support Pacific nations with implementing global regulations and standards in maritime safety and environmental protection, while advancing their maritime sectors.

 Arsenio Domiguez, IMO secretary general, underlined the central role of shipping and the wider blue economy in the region, especially for Small Island Developing States, which are heavily reliant on maritime transportation. 

“This Regional Presence Office will serve as a center of coordination, knowledge and technical expertise, directly supporting countries and ensuring that the Pacific is part of the shipping evolution," Dominguez said on his first official mission to the Pacific.

Pacific nations are already active partners in various IMO projects and programs, including those that support ocean protection and the reduction of harmful emissions from ships, empower women in maritime, strengthen regulatory compliance and address seafarer welfare, port resilience and digital transformation. 

IMO said the regional office will deepen the engagement, adopting a centralized delivery model for technical assistance that emphasizes efficiency, results and smarter use of resources, in line with broader UN reform efforts.  

Filipe Tuisawau, Fiji's public works minister, said the establishment of the Regional Presence Office is "the first of its kind" in the region, highlighting the level of regional engagement and cooperation in strengthening maritime governance, safety and sustainability.

"The maritime sector in our region faces challenges that require consistent and specialised support, from safety compliance and pollution prevention to legislative reform and decarbonisation. This office provides a regional mechanism to help address these challenges," he said.

Dominguez urged Pacific countries to continue engaging with IMO to ensure the implementation of the IMO Net-Zero Framework to tackle climate change by cutting GHG emissions from ships.

This set of new regulations, due to be adopted in October 2025, includes a mandatory fuel standard and a global GHG pricing system for ship emissions. Revenue from the pricing mechanism will be directed into a new IMO Net-Zero Fund, which will further support the energy transition.   

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