UN maritime chief in Pakistan on first-ever visit as Islamabad hosts international conference

ISLAMABAD: The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco, arrived in Islamabad today, Thursday, to attend the International Maritime Sustainability Exhibition and Conference (IMSEC), the foreign ministry said in a statement.
This will be the first-ever visit to Pakistan by an IMO cheif. The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping and ensuring maritime safety, environmental protection and security on international waters. Established in 1948, its primary role is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping, which includes standards for safety, pollution prevention and legal matters surrounding global maritime operations.
“The Secretary General’s visit will afford an opportunity for Pakistan and IMO to exchange views on the maritime sector and blue economy,” the statement said.
“As a founding member of IMO, Pakistan is deeply committed to IMO’s vision of safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans … Pakistan has served for five terms on the IMO Council and has consistently contributed in upholding the IMO objectives.”
The foreign office said Velasco will be visiting Pakistan from September 12 to 14 and would hold meetings with Pakistani leaders and senior government officials.
He is scheduled to attend IMSEC, which will begin in Islamabad on Thursday before moving to Pakistan’s port city of Karachi for the next two days.
Pakistan is actively working to increase its global trade through sea-lanes and improve port facilities in Karachi and Gwadar. It also wants to position itself as a key transit hub for landlocked Central Asian states and is in talks with countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan who want to use Pakistani ports for international trade.