Manila, February 21 (AseanAll) — Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro received Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on a courtesy call made on the occasion of his visit to the Philippines to open Regional Forum on the Effective Implementation of the STCW Convention and Code, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of the Philippines on February 21, 2026.
During their meeting, Lazaro expressed her appreciation for Secretary-General Dominguez’ active role in ensuring the safety and security of all Filipino seafarers, especially those traversing dangerous maritime routes.
Lazaro and Dominguez likewise discussed cooperation in promoting the human rights of seafarers, especially in view of the Manila Declaration of September 2025.
The Secretary-General visited the Philippines to open the Regional Conference on STCW, a convention that sets the standards for training of seafarers – key to a country that supplies the most seafarers, amounting to 25% of the entire global merchant marine fleet.
