WIMA Europe Hosted IMO Secretary-General
- H.E. Arsenio DominguezSecretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) - LinkedIn profile, opens in a new tab
- Mr. Douglas WebbResident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Georgia - LinkedIn profile, opens in a new tab
- Ms. Natia MiminoshviliFirst Deputy Director of the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia and a co-founder of WIMA Europe - LinkedIn profile, opens in a new tab
On 7 September 2026, the first day of the Forum, WIMA Europe held a workshop on women in the maritime industry at the Sheraton Batumi Hotel, alongside Panel I of the main programme. The guest speakers were H.E. Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and Mr. Douglas Webb, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Georgia.
Ms. Natia Miminoshvili, First Deputy Director of the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia and a co-founder of WIMA Europe, moderated the workshop, which drew an audience of professionals, students and professors.
WIMA Europe was launched in Batumi on 24 June 2026 as the ninth regional association formed under IMO's Women in Maritime programme, with the support of UNDP Georgia and the Government of Denmark.
Mr. Webb spoke first, followed by the Secretary-General, and their remarks led into a long question-and-answer session. The talk focused on the low number of women in the maritime industry and on what can be done to change it. The Secretary-General also gave advice on how WIMA Europe can develop and