Koji Sekimizu
Koji Sekimizu in April 2013
8th Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization
In office
January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2015
Preceded byEfthymios Mitropoulos
Succeeded byKitack Lim
Personal details
Born (1952-12-03) December 3, 1952
Alma materOsaka University

Koji Sekimizu (born 3 December 1952) is a Japanese official who was Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization between 2012 and 2015, as well as Chancellor of the World Maritime University.[1][2]

Education

Sekimizu attended school in Yokohama.[1] He studied a Bachelor's degree in Engineering at Osaka University and then obtained a Master's degree in Engineering from Osaka University in 1977.[1]

Early career

In 1977, he was appointed at a ship inspectior for the Ministry of Transport in Japan.[1] In 1979, he became responsible for IMO safety planning regulations at the Ministry of Transport Ship Bureau.[1] In 1980, he began attending meetings at the IMO in London.[1] He eventually rose to become Deputy Director of Maritime Safety Standards in 1986.[1]

In 1989, Sekimizu joined the IMO as a technical officer.[1] In 1992, he became Head of Technology in the Maritime Safety Division.[1] In 1997, he became the Senior Deputy Director of the Maritime Environment Division.[1] In 2004, he was appointed as the Director of the Maritime Safety Division at the IMO.[1][2]

Secretary-General of the IMO

Sekimizu seen at IMO in his office in 2013

On 28 June 2011, he was elected Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization.[3] This appointment was confirmed on 1 December 2011 and he became the eighth Secretary-General of the IMO.[1] He began his term as Secretary-General on 1 January 2012.[2]

In July 2012, in response to the Costa Concordia disaster, he stated that the IMO needed to seriously consider the lessons to be learnt [from the accident] and, if necessary, re-reexamine the requirements on the safety of large passenger ships.[4] In September 2012, he argued for enhanced safety regulations for passenger shipping in the maritime industry.[5] In June 2013, in Oslo, he advised audiences of the IMO development of the Polar Code.[6]

In 2015, he stated clearly that the IMO must help prevent migrants from being sent to unsafe ports, specifically in the Mediterranean.[7] In 2015, Sekimizu also said that shippers should not be responsible for capping their environmental emissions.[8] In April 2015, he welcomed Zambia as the newest IMO member State.[9]

Seikimizu served as Secretary-General until 31 December 2015.[1] He was succeeded on 1 January 2016 by Kitack Lim.[1][10] On his retirement from the IMO at the end of 2015, he was the last Japanese official to lead a UN specialised agency until the appointment of Masahiko Metoki to the Universal Postal Union in 2022.[11]

In 2016, following his retirement he received the International Maritime Prize for his contributions at IMO.[12]

Personal life

He is married, with a daughter, son and two grand-daughters.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Koji Sekimizu". World Maritime University. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Sherry, Broder; Van Dyke, Jon (2012). The Regulation of International Shipping: International and Comparative Perspectives. Brill. p. 278. ISBN 9789004202443.
  3. ↑ Landsford, Tom (2015). Political Handbook of the World 2015. Sage. ISBN 9781483371559.
  4. ↑ "Costa Concordia capsizing spotlights cruise ship safety". LA Times. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  5. ↑ "New push needed to enhance safety of passenger shipping, says UN maritime official". UN News. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "Arctic shipping set for record as sea ice melts". Financial Times. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Is the UN's maritime organisation facilitating crimes at sea?". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "We're Gonna Need a Greener Boat". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  9. ↑ Chesterman, Simon; Hisashi, Owada; Saul, Ben (2019). The Oxford Handbook of International Law in Asia and the Pacific. Oxford University Press. p. 209. ISBN 9780198793854.
  10. ↑ "Japan Post official to head U.N.'s Universal Postal Union". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "International Maritime Prize for 2016 goes to Koji Sekimizu, former IMO Secretary-General". International Maritime Organization. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
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