The C 134th session meeting is held in the London headquarters from July 7th to 11h, 2025. The key outcomes from the meeting are as follows:
In principle, C 134 had approved the IMO’s regular budget outline of £86,882,000 for the 2026–2027 biennium, with £43,167,000 allocated for 2026 and £43,715,000 for 2027.
The Council also endorsed a regular staff complement of 270 posts and the proposed budget plan for the Organization’s other Funds. A detailed results-based budget and draft Assembly resolution, reflecting the outcomes of C 134, will be presented at the Council’s next session (C 135) ahead of the Assembly session.
2. IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS)
C 134 endorsed a revision of the overall audit schedule, including postponed audits of Haiti, Mozambique, and Yemen in early 2026, and rescheduling the audits of the Islamic Republic of Iran and of Israel to the start of the second audit cycle.
Under the mandatory IMSAS, the Member States are assessed in seven-year cycles on their compliance with IMO instruments. The first cycle is expected to be completed in 2026. Ahead of the second cycle, the Joint Working Group on the Member State Audit Scheme (JWGMSA) has reviewed and proposed amendments to the IMSAS Framework and Procedures (resolution A.1067(28)).
C134 had approved the report of the 9th JWGMSA session, including proposed amendments to the IMSAS framework and procedures. The revised Framework and Procedures for the IMO Member State Audit Scheme, with the associated draft Assembly resolution to the 34th session of the Assembly for adoption, will be submitted with a view to adoption.
The amendments to the IMO Convention, adopted through resolution A.1152(32) at the 32nd session of the Assembly (A 32), included:
(1) To expand the size of the Council from 40 to 52 Members;
(2) extend the term of Council Members,
(3) and recognize three additional language texts as authentic versions of the IMO Convention.
C134 had approved the draft Assembly resolution Urging Member States to accept the 2021 amendments to the Convention on the International Maritime Organization and submitted it for adoption to the IMO Assembly (A 34). The amendments must be accepted by two-thirds of the IMO membership (117 Member States) to take into force, and for now, there are 32 Member States that have accepted.
C 134 endorsed the Secretary-General's continuing efforts to encourage Governments to accept the 2021 amendments to the IMO Convention. It also supported trying to bring two IMO treaties into force at the earliest possible opportunity, which are:
(1) Protocol of 2010 to the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 1996 (2010 HNS Protocol); and
(2) Cape Town Agreement of 2012 on the Implementation of the Provisions of the 1993 Protocol relating to the Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels, 1977 (2012 Cape Town Agreement).
1. IMO, Council, 134th session (C 134), 7 to 11 July 2025. https://www.imo.org/en/mediacentre/meetingsummaries/pages/council-134th-session.aspx
2. InterManager, Summary report on IMO Council C 134. https://www.intermanager.org/2025/07/imo-council-meeting-c-134-summary-report-167274/