Russia failed to win enough votes to rejoin the governing council of the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO). It had sought to regain a seat it lost in 2023.
The defeat follows Russia’s unsuccessful bid in September to join the U.N. aviation agency’s council, marking another diplomatic setback over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The London-based IMO regulates international shipping safety, security, and pollution prevention. It has 176 member states. Russia has been an IMO member since 1958 and had been consistently re-elected to the council until 2023.
This year, 48 countries competed for 40 council seats. Russia was the only major shipping nation among the ten largest global shipping interests to be rejected.
Russia’s transport ministry called the vote unfair. It said political confrontation since 2023 politicized the election and undermined impartiality.
Before the vote, Russia claimed it remained an active IMO participant but warned the agency was losing neutrality.
Ukraine opposed Russia’s candidacy and did not run for election. Kyiv urged members to reject Moscow, stating that Russia undermines global shipping safety and cannot claim a leadership role in maritime governance. The statement referenced Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s ports and maritime infrastructure.
