▲ Lim Ki-tack, the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization, poses for a photo at the agency's headquarters in London, Britain, on Nov. 16, 2023. (Yonhap)
▲ Lim Ki-tack (L), the secretary general of the International Maritime Organization, shakes hands with his successor, Arsenio Dominguez from Panama, at the agency's headquarters in London, Britain, on Wednesday (local time), in this photo provided by the agency on Dec. 10, 2023. (Yonhap)

IMO chief-retirement

IMO secretary general Lim Ki-tack to retire after 8 yrs

LONDON, Dec. 10 (Yonhap) -- Lim Ki-tack, the secretary general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), will retire later this month after serving two four-year terms at the U.N. agency since 2016.

Lim was the third South Korean to hold a leadership position at a U.N. organization, following former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Lee Jong-wook, a former director-general of the World Health Organization.

"I had the great honor of serving in such a global organization, even though I am just an ordinary maritime official. I am grateful to my homeland country for its unwavering support," Lim said Wednesday (local time), in a ceremony to celebrate his retirement after the IMO's Assembly meeting.

A crewman-turned-civil servant, Lim graduated from the Korea Maritime & Ocean University and has built a career in government since 1984. His relationship with the IMO started while working at the South Korean Embassy in Britain for six years.

Lim is praised for his leadership and utilizing innovative, strategic and efficient approaches in carrying out responsibilities over his eight-year tenure.

One of Lim's notable achievements involves efforts to respond to climate change.

In July, the U.N. agency adopted the 2023 IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy, a landmark decision for decarbonization in the shipping sector with the goal of reaching net zero in such emissions by 2050.

It was the first time an international agreement on climate change had been reached with unanimous consent since the Paris Agreement signed in 2015.

The secretary general is also recognized for introducing a comprehensive port information sharing system, set to launch next year, and effectively managing piracy crimes in areas such as the Gulf of Aden.

The IMO is a U.N. body overseeing international shipping affairs, consisting of 175 member nations and three associate members.

South Korea has been one of the 10 council members of the Category A group since 2001, which are countries with the largest interest in providing international shipping services.

The incoming IMO leader is Arsenio Dominguez from Panama, the former chief of staff to Lim.

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