Jamaica marks 50 years at the IMO with call for island states to shape shipping’s future in Port News 23/05/2026 The Maritime Authority of Jamaica has marked Jamaica’s 50th anniversary as a member of the International Maritime Organization with a call for Small Island Developing States to be fully represented in decisions shaping the next generation of global shipping rules, particularly as the IMO continues climate negotiations following its 2023 Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategy. The anniversary was commemorated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in Kingston under the theme “Jamaica and the IMO: 50 Years Advancing Safe, Secure and Sustainable Shipping”. Jamaica lodged its Instrument of Acceptance to the IMO Convention on May 11, 1976, and has since played an active role in international maritime governance. For Jamaica, the stakes are national as well as international. More than 80 percent of its imports and exports move by sea, including energy supplies, motor vehicles, essential commodities and raw materials, while its marine territory is almost 24 times the size of its landmass. Safe shipping, secure supply chains and clean oceans are therefore central to the country’s economic resilience, disaster response and long term development. Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, presents a special award to Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Peter Brady, Former Director General, Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), at the commemorative function marking Jamaica’s 50th anniversary as a member of the International Maritime Organization, held on May 12, 2026, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, 2 Port Royal Street, Kingston. Rear Admiral Brady was recognised for his visionary leadership and transformational contribution to Jamaica’s maritime sector during his tenure from 1999 to 2024. Also pictured are (from left) Ambassador Cheryl Spencer, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs