Oil price surges have put international shipping in the spotlight in recent months. But what about the people behind the headlines? What happens to them when the news cycle moves on?
With up to 90 per cent of all goods globally transported by sea, the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) works to help commercial shipping and international trade ride the waves of war, piracy and geopolitics.
Growing up near the Panama Canal, Arsenio Dominguez was always fascinated by mighty cargo ships sailing through on their way to distant shores. Now Secretary-General of the IMO, his role is to defend seafarers and give shipping the recognition it deserves.
¡°Whenever you affect shipping, everybody else gets affected, even if you're not part of the conflict. This is not good for anyone. This is not good for the global population, for the global economy, for politics. We need to protect shipping more.¡±
In this episode of the podcast, Awake at Night, Mr. Dominguez reflects on years of back-to-back challenges for international shipping, on efforts to decarbonize, and shares why the power of positive thinking and the encouragement of his mother have always been his guiding lights.
About Awake at Night:
Hosted by Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, the podcast?Awake at Night?is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members who dedicate their careers to helping people in parts of the world where they have the hardest lives ¨C from war zones and displacement camps to areas hit by disasters and the devastation of climate change.
