Maldives Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Dr. Farahanaz Faizal has presented her credentials.

During a ceremony held at the IMO Headquarters on Tuesday, Dr. Faizal presented her Letter of Credence to the IMO’s Secretary-General, Kitack Lim.

Following the handover ceremony, Dr. Faizal and Secretary-General Lim engaged in discussions, where the Maldives Permanent Representative reiterated the Maldivian government’s commitment to further the close engagements with IMO in line with internationally accepted standards. As such, engagements are to be furthered in several areas including the safe, fair and effective regulation of shipping and reducing pollution from ships.

Also the High Commissioner of the Maldives to the United Kingdom, the Non-Resident Ambassador to France, Spain and Ireland, Dr. Faizal was appointed Maldives Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on April 5. The People’s Majlis approved her appointment on March 2.

In a tweet posted after, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid expressed confidence in Farahanaz noting that she will be an "effective advocate for Maldives at IMO, contributing towards reduced pollution from ships and ensuring a safe and fair shipping industry".

Dr. Faizal is the first Permanent Representative of the Maldives to be accredited to IMO since the island nation became a member state on 31 May 1967. IMO was established on 17 March 1948 with the responsibility of ensuring safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. The organization, currently having 174 member states and three associate members, aims to form a regulatory framework that is far and effective, universally adopted and implemented, for the shipping industry.